More than 250 people filled Mission Bible Fellowship for the community meeting Monday, Sept. 4.
A comparison of the fire growth from Sunday morning to Monday morning. The fire doubled in size going from 50,000 acres to more than 101,000 acres.
Embers are lofted or roll out over containment lines and ignite receptive fuels. The fire then runs up the hill. This was a part of a 10 second video were attendees watched as the fire on the ground was barely visible and in less than 10 seconds turned into this fire. Spot fires have been the biggest challenge for containment. A spot fire in Morrell Creek ran towards the airport Saturday night was a line of fire that were dropping fire ahead of its self. The aircraft kept it moving towards the main fire. In an ordinary year the treated area would slow fire down. This year they are seeing spot fires one to two miles out ahead of the fire.
When the fire burns through, it is cleaning up the surface fuels along the Cottonwood Lakes Road. There isn't even a twig left on the ground.
Shaded fuel breaks creates opportunity to change the fire behavior enough to allow firefighters to get in and work. The intent is to keep the fire on the ground and keep it out of the trees. Clippers are cutting the fuel breaks and the brush is hauled out along the Cottonwood Lakes Road and the timber is being decked for sale.
SEELEY LAKE - More than 250 people filled Mission Bible Fellowship on Day 44 of the Rice Ridge Fire. The Rice Ridge Fire had again taken the number one seat on the national priority list as of Sunday, Sept. 3.
"At the first meeting I told you I was going to have a bunch of containment out there and I lied to you," said Incident Commander John Thompson. "It has been a challenging two weeks for us."
Tomorrow the fire transitions to Greg Poncin's Type 1 Incident Management Team. They will also be in command of the Liberty Fire.
Meeting Highlights:
• The Type 1, versus a Type 2 team, comes with more resources and a higher level of training. Even though the Liberty Fire has requested its own team, there are no more teams available nationally so the organization will manage both fires.
• The extremely dry fuel conditions, including dead and live fuels, has been the biggest driver of the extreme fire behavior. The further from Seeley Lake, the drier it is. Towards Monture area, the trees are dropping their leaves due to drought stress.
• Saturday morning there was a spot fire. It was an area of unburnt fuels and a group of trees torched and threw spot fires across the line around 2 p.m. Within ten minutes the spot fire was an acre and moving and firefighters were pulled off the line.
Thompson said the decision to evacuate Seeley Lake was validated by the fire behavior seen last Monday night and Saturday afternoon. They did get the aerial resources they needed when they need them.
"That is why we kept everyone evacuated because if the wind would have switched it could have been a very different outcome. I was really glad that you weren't in your houses and Seeley Lake wasn't full of visitors," said Thompson. "But after two weeks of getting my but kicked I can say we have only lost one portable outhouse by the Monture cabin."
• Thompson said he is confident that the area of line north of Seeley Lake will hold. The Cottonwood Lakes Road has "the world's biggest sprinkler system" in the drainage. There is 75 miles of hose on the Rice Ridge Fire.
• Today the predicted east winds never made the ground. The layer of cold air trapped the smoke close to the ground which helped cool things off.
• On the northwest end of the fire, they are still looking for the right opportunity to catch the fire that is slowly backing down the slope. They are using the logging road system but spots continue to keep jumping the roads but is only advancing about 300 feet per day. They did not have a crew on it today.
• Missoula County Sheriff's Office Sheriff T.J. McDermott said deputies are working 15-21 hour shifts. They are doing their best to service the community and keep the evacuated properties safe.
• The community is asked to stop by the Sheriff's information trailer for more information and for escorts. Also if they are special requests please make those requests at the trailer.
• Thompson estimates within the next week, if nothing major changes, the evacuation order for Seeley Lake should be lifted.
• Yesterday morning based on the 9,000 acre spot fire that started on the south east edge of the fire, Powell County Sheriff Scott Howard made the decision to evacuate the Coopers Lake area because it is a one-way-in, one-way-out. It is also a very tight canyon. If fire does get established, the fire will exhibit some extreme conditions. Right now the fire is north of the area, following the 1988 Canyon Creek burn scar.
• Another fire started near the North Fork Trailhead yesterday from lightning Thursday night. It is now 2,800 acres. Because of its proximity to the Rice Ridge Fire, it was not staffed.
• The USFS is going to leave the River Point Campground open for evacuees with services and no fees. This is only for evacuees and will be closed once the evacuation order is lifted.
• The Black Fire northwest of Seeley Lake is currently 450 acres. It is currently still burning only on the Confederated Salish & Kootenia tribal land.
• Sunday night’s column was 30,000 feet high with an ice cap on the top dropping spots out one to two miles ahead of the main fire.
The next community meeting will be in Ovando Tuesday night at 6 p.m. Location is yet to be determined.
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