Single Publication

Government Fire 2,376 acres  0%

Billiard Fire  1,119 acres  3%

Isabella Lake Fire  280 acres  0%

The Bull Gin Complex is currently 3,775 acres. Firefighters are working to secure lines to achieve containment where the fires reach constructed or natural control lines. Containment is achieved when a fire can be left unsupervised with no risk of spreading beyond control lines. The west side of the Government Fire continues to experience burning materials ‘rolling out’ and falling over the control line. Fire activity across the complex is reduced with minimal surface fire due to dewey mornings and less solar heating during the day.

Government Fire: Along Rock Creek Road and the 2763 road system, firefighters and heavy equipment are removing slash created from fire line construction using masticators and chippers. Government Creek is providing a natural control line on the northwest perimeter. Yesterday evening was the last night shift, where firefighters and engines patrolled and monitored the southern portion of the fire. The Rock Lake Fire is controlled and in patrol status.

Billiard Fire: A portion of the west side of the fire, from Fatman Saddle north to Broken Hill Road, is secured and contained. Firefighters extinguished areas of heat 30 to 60 feet inside the control line and removed fire weakened trees that could potentially fall over the line. The Aravaipa Hotshots are constructing handline directly along the fire edge north of Broken Hill Road. Crews and heavy equipment completed line construction to the south in the 2293 road system, tying line to a natural rock scree feature. Chippers and masticators are mitigating slash from fireline construction along Fatman Road and to the west along the Blue Creek Road. Engines patrol structures in Blue Creek, Blue Creek Bay, Hillside Lane, and Fatman Road.

Isabella Lake Fire: The fire remains unstaffed and monitored.

Evacuations: On September 8th the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office placed the residents along Government Mountain Road and Timber Ridge Road into pre-evacuation status. Please sign up for Sanders County Emergency Alerts at 406-203-0082 to stay informed on the status of emergency conditions.

Closures: Government Mountain Road and Rock Creek Road are closed to the public. The Noxon Refuse Site remains open during regular hours. Area, road, and trail closures are in place for the Government, Billiard, and Isabella Lake Fires to provide for public safety and firefighting operations. See Inciweb for maps and closure descriptions.

Weather: Partly cloudy with a low chance for an isolated shower or thunderstorm in the afternoon. Temperatures low to mid 60s with southwest winds 5 to 10 mph and gusts up to 15 mph switching to north 4 to 8 mph on the ridgetops after 6:00 PM.