Rice Ridge and Liberty Fires Update: There will be a community meeting in Seeley Lake tonight, Sept. 18 at 6pm at the Mission Bible Fellowship Church, 3158 Highway 83.
There will be a meeting Tuesday, Sept. 19th, 6 pm at the Ovando Elementary School Gym, 108 Birch Street.
The Rice Ridge Fire remains at 160,181 acres and is 61% completed for the 35% of the fire area that is either full suppression or confinement strategy. The Liberty Fire acreage has not been updated. It is 95% completed based on the 50% full suppression and 50% confinement strategy.
Summary: Light rain occurred over the fire area last night. Temperatures will be in the 50s today as a cold front approaches the fire from the west. This front should bring more rain over the fires, especially on Tuesday and Wednesday.
YESTERDAY on the Rice Ridge: Firefighters continued mop up and patrol from the northwest side of the fire south and east to Monture Cabin. Excavators continued fire suppression repair of dozer lines interior to the fire lines east of the town of Seeley Lake and on the Morrell Lookout Road. Sprinkler systems are still in place near Swamp Creek. The Montana National Guard continued to haul excess equipment from the fire line and roll hose at the Incident Command Post. Excess fire personnel are starting to leave the fire as the organization downsizes to appropriate strength for the work that remains on the fire area. Most log processing and slash piling left to finish is on private lands along the indirect fire line between Forest Road 89 and Coopers Lake where heavy equipment was operating. Three engines were stationed at Coopers Lake. Night operations have been discontinued.
YESTERDAY on the Liberty: The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have contributed 116 firefighters of the 197 fire personnel on the fire. Slash from shaded fuel breaks on the west side of the fire continued to be moved off the Crazy Fish Lake, Jocko Lookout and Boles Meadows Roads for burning in safety zones where snow is still on the ground. Firefighters continue to mop up along the fire line in the Second Creek drainage on the northeast side of the fire. The east side of the fire is in patrol status where firefighters were pulling hose at Black Mountain. The also kept working hot spots with engines on the southeast and south side of the fire along the Belmont Road.
TODAY on Rice Ridge: Mop up will focus on Forest Road 720 near Camp Creek and the remainder of the fire line south and east to Monture Cabin will be primarily in patrol status with back haul of equipment and mop up as needed. Sprinkler systems will remain at the bog area near Swamp Creek. Log processing on private lands should be completed today along the indirect fire line between Forest Road 89 and Coopers Lake. Approximately 50 log decks are located in that area as a result of constructing the shaded fuel break. The Montana National Guard will be leaving today and were a tremendous help to firefighters, both during active fire suppression efforts and in removal of fire equipment from the fire lines.
TODAY on Liberty: Firefighters will continue to haul slash from fire line clearing on the west side of the fire to safety zones and burn slash piles in those locations because snow is still on the ground. Mop up should be finished in the Second Creek drainage. The east side of the fire will be in patrol status. On the southeast side of the fire mop up along the Belmont Road will be focused on any remaining areas of heat near the fire line.
Completed·: The suppression strategy for Rice Ridge fire is full suppression on 23% of the fire perimeter and confinement on 12% of the fire perimeter for a total of 35%. The remaining 65% of the fire is burning in remote backcountry and wilderness and will be monitored. Action will be taken as necessary to keep the fire from coming out into areas where values at risk would be impacted. Today's "Completed" percentage indicates that 61% of the full suppression/confinement actions taken on the fire have been completed. On the Liberty fire, the suppression strategy is full suppression on 50% of the fire perimeter and confinement on 50% of the fire perimeter. Today's "Completion" percentage summary table indicates that 95% of these actions have been completed.
Evacuations and Warnings:
Powell County evacuation warnings: all Evacuation Zones in Powell County north of Highway 200 between the Missoula County line on the west and the Lewis and Clark County line on the east, and that portion of Zone 5 near Seeley Lake that is in Powell County remain under Evacuation Warning.
Missoula County evacuation warnings:
All Evacuation Zones near Seeley Lake remain under Evacuation Warning.
Evacuation/Closure Information: Evacuations/road closures are based upon the need to provide for public and firefighter safety, current fire behavior, forecast weather, and planned fire operations. Fire officials, Missoula and Powell County Sheriff's Offices, and Montana Department of Transportation evaluate evacuation and road closures daily. Go to the Missoula County Sheriff's Facebook page or, in Powell County, call 406-396-1386 for the most current information.
Stage II Fire Restrictions are in effect for Missoula, Powell and Lake Counties and across the Lolo and Flathead National Forests with the exception of the Bob Marshall Wilderness which is in Stage 1. Many areas in wilderness are closed due to the fires. Find up-to-date information on Inciweb and the Lolo and Flathead National Forest websites.
Closures: Multiple closures related to Rice Ridge Fire suppression efforts are in effect for public lands managed by the Lolo and Flathead National Forests, Bureau of Land Management, Montana DNRC, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
Visit the Lolo and Flathead NF webpages or fwp.mt.gov or call 406-542-5500 for up-to-date information on closures.
Jurisdiction: The Lolo National Forest, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and Montana DNRC. Montana National Guard soldiers are providing assistance to the Missoula and Powell County Sheriffs.
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