Rice Ridge Fire Friday Morning Update

Rice Ridge Fire Morning Update: The next community meeting will be Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. at Seeley Lake Elementary School.

The Rice Ridge fire is up 200 acres to 17,991 acres and 16% contained. There are 464 personnel assigned to the fire.

The Missoula County Sheriff issued the following on 8/24/2017:

An Evacuation ORDER for the area along Forest Service Rd 17507 which runs north into North Cottonwood Canyon was issued due to an immediate fire threat near the Rice Ridge Fire; two cabins have been affected.

An Evacuation WARNING has been issued for residents in the Kozy Korner Meadows area. Eastern boundary starts in the 7500 block of Woodworth Road and runs west to Cottonwood Lakes Road, then north through the Rich Ranch. There are 15 homes in the warning area. This also includes the Black Canyon Ranch which is the only property located on the south side of Woodworth Road in the warning area.

An evacuation warning issued within areas of Seeley Lake (including Double Arrow Ranch), remains in effect and residents are urged to be prepared. In the event of an evacuation order, residents will be directed to a new shelter site located at the UCC Church, 405 University Avenue, Missoula MT. Residents of the area should sign up for Smart911 at https://www.smart911.com/ to ensure they receive messages about potential evacuations.

YESTERDAY: There was a cold front that moved through the area bringing wind and light rain that totaled from 0.02 inches to 0.07 inches in the fire area. Fire activity was minimal and the increase in relative humidity helped fire operations. Helicopters worked much of the day on the southwest side of the fire. Crews continued to establish, strengthen and monitor fire lines. Crews were able to finish the contingency line along the northeast corner and eastern edges of Double Arrow development.

TODAY: Air resources will continue to assist firefighting operations across the fire throughout the day as weather conditions allow. Structure protection crews will continue clearing out green fuels on the northeast corner and eastside of the Double Arrow development. Crews will continue to tie into existing roadways to establish and improve fire lines.

Today it will be partly cloudy with areas of smoke. Temperatures will increase to the low 80's with the relative humidity dropping through the day. Winds will be breezy and out of the west later in the day. The weather pattern will begin to be warmer and dryer as high pressure begins to build over the area.

CLOSURES: A closure order in effect for the areas surrounding the Rice Ridge Fire includes the Lodge Pole and Monture Creek trails. A map and the official closure order is posted on Inciweb. Big Larch Campground is still closed but the boat launch is open. Recreationists are strongly urged to keep the area clear for ongoing helicopter bucket operations on Seeley Lake.