West Lolo Complex (Thorne Creek)

Unit Information

Lolo National Forest
U.S. Forest Service
24 Fort Missoula Road
Missoula, MT 59804

This incident is no longer being updated.

This Thorne Creek Fire/West Lolo Complex InciWeb Page is not being regularly updated after August 29, 2021. It will be updated as closure information changes or if fire behavior and conditions warrant.

NEW! (10/7/21)All closures associated with the Thorne Creek Fire (West Lolo Complex) have been lifted. Please exercise caution when traveling through a burned area as hazards exist. The Thorne Creek Fire is now 100% contained. Firefighters are continuing to patrol and monitor the fire when needed. Some interior smoldering/smoking may still be visible until a season ending event occurs, such as significant snowfall.

Tips for traveling in or near a burned area:

•Those traveling on Forest roads through burned areas should be prepared to remove downed trees that may have fallen across the roads or trails.

•Snags – or dead, standing trees – are prone to fall without warning in burned areas. In windy conditions the danger of falling snags is heightened and visitors should always be alert to the condition of trees and the weather.

•The base of a tree may be consumed in a wildfire and the stump completely burned out, leaving a deep pocket or hole not visible when walking through the area. Use Caution when walking near the burned-out base of a tree.

Incident Background: Thunderstorms on July 7, 2021, started multiple wildfires across the Lolo National Forest. U.S. Forest service personnel in coordination with local cooperators and response partners actively engaged the fires. The western portion of the Forest, which includes the Superior and Plains-Thompson Falls Ranger Districts, experienced the most lightning activity.

The only fire currently remaining in the Complex is the Thorne Creek Fire. The Thorne Creek Fire is approximately 6 miles north-northeast of Thompson Falls, Montana. Fires that have been contained include Quinns, Upper Graves Creek, Thompson, Deep Creek, Sheep Creek, Cataract, Siegel and Sunset. The Winniemuck Fire joined the Thorne Creek Fire on July 17 and is now referred to as the Thorne Creek Fire. The Thorne Creek Fire is being managed under a full suppression strategy. Public and Firefighter safety is the number one priority. In addition, minimizing impacts to local communities, private property and structures, timber resources, highway corridors, and recreation improvements are key considerations.

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Basic Information

Current as of
Incident Type	Wildfire
Cause	Lightning
Date of Origin	Thursday July 08th, 2021 approx. 11:10 AM
Location	Near Thompson Falls, MT
Incident Commander	Transfer of command to a type 4 incident occurred on 9/13/2021.
Incident Description	Complex
Coordinates	47.397 latitude, -115.076 longitude

Current Situation

Total Personnel	19
Size	39,053 Acres
Percent of Perimeter Contained	100%
Fuels Involved	Timber (Litter and Understory) Fuels on the West Lolo Complex are primarily fuel model 10 (mixed conifer with heavy dead and down). There are areas of fuel model TU5 (timber with shrub understory)as well. Fuels are starting to dry out from the multiple days of warming and drying. Fuel moistures have started to fall, but are still above levels of concern. 1000 hour fuels remain available, but moistures are not critically low. ERCs have fallen below the 50th percentile range. Fire activity is limited to smoldering and creeping with minor smoke production.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Firefighters will patrol and monitor the fire.
Projected Incident Activity	Smoldering and smoking may occur within the interior of the fire until a season ending event occurs, such as significant snowfall.
Remarks	Transfer of command to a type 4 incident occurred on 9/13/2021. Once individual fires are fully contained and returned to the local district, they are removed from the 209 and no longer reported by the West Lolo Complex. The West Lolo Complex currently includes the Thorne Creek and Deep Lookout fires. Fires that have been contained include Quinns, Upper Graves Creek, Thompson, Deep Creek, Sheep Creek, Cataract, Siegel Creek and Sunset. Percent containment has been adjusted frequently up and down as fires have been returned to home unit and removed from the complex.