The Eastern Area Incident Command Team will work the fire until 6pm tonight at which time command will be transferred to John Thompson's Central Area Management Team.
These banners made by Steve and Cheri Thompson decorate all the light poles through Seeley Lake thanking the firefighters for all their work.
Rice Ridge Morning Update: A community meeting will be held Thursday, Aug. 24 at 6pm at the Seeley Lake Elementary School.
The Rice Ridge Fire grew about 200 acres and is up to 16,117 acres. It is 9% contained. There are 535 firefighters assigned to the fire: 8 crews, 31 engines, 4 helicopters, 2 dozers, 16 water tenders and overhead personnel.
YESTERDAY: Due to unfavorable weather conditions, there were no strategic firing operations conducted on the southeast portion of the fire. There was very little fire growth in the Cottonwood Creek drainage area. Firefighters and helicopter buckets continued to focus efforts on more active portions of the fire near Morrell Creek. Crews continued fuels reduction operations on public land north and east of the Double Arrow Ranch. The Morrell Fire Lookout has not been damaged.
TODAY: The Eastern Area Incident Management Team will transition at 6:00 pm with Thompson's Central Montana Incident Management Team. Residents can expect to see fire conditions similar to yesterday. Helicopters will be used to assist firefighting operations on the west and southeast portions of the fire. Additionally, fire crews will be maintaining hose lays and pumps to support suppression efforts along the indirect line to the south and southeast. Fuels reduction work will continue on the northeast side of the Double Arrow Ranch.
Partly Sunny with temperatures reaching 83-87 with winds from the southwest at 4-8 mph and gusts to 10 mph. Relative humidity will be 11-18%. Smoke from other fires could moderate conditions today. However, expect to see active fire conditions materialize later in the afternoon.
Fire information booths will be staffed at the Valley Market and Rovero's Hardware Store on Highway 83 from 11am to 6pm.
In the event of an evacuation, the American Red Cross will open a shelter. It is located at the Potomac Community Center, 29827 Potomac Rd., in Potomac. The shelter is on standby, anyone seeking to pre-evacuate that requires assistance or sheltering may call the Red Cross of Montana at 1-800-272-6668. Evacuees are urged to call before leaving for the shelter, as cell phone service is limited at the shelter. More info at http://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery-services/find-an-open-shelter.
Residents of the area should sign up for Smart911 at http://www.smart911.com to ensure they receive any emergency messages about potential evacuations. Recreationists are strongly urged to keep clear of ongoing helicopter bucket operations on Seeley Lake. Due to safety concerns, the lake could be closed once again if public fails to cooperate.
ADVISORIES: As a reminder, the evacuation warning issued within areas of Seeley Lake (including Double Arrow Ranch), remains in effect and residents are urged to be prepared. Residents adjacent to these areas should remain vigilant.
CLOSURES: The closure order in effect for the areas surrounding the Rice Ridge Fire includes the Lodge Pole and Monture Creek trails. A map and copies of the official closure orders are posted on Inciweb. Big Larch campground is still closed but the boat launch is open.
A temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place. Be advised, this restriction also applies to Drones. For more information: http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_7_9440.html
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