By Michael Howell
Roaring Lion Fire lived up to its name when it jumped to life on Sunday afternoon and roared across 2,000 acres of forested land in less than 12 hours. At one point the fire was estimated to be consuming the woods at a rate of 200 acres per hour. By noon on Monday it had scorched 3,505 acres.
The fire started about a mile from the trailhead and about five miles from the city of Hamilton. It was first reported on Sunday afternoon at 2:15 p.m. and multiple engines and water tenders from every rural fire station in the valley responded. Highway 93 was closed down from Skalkaho Road to Darby as strong winds blew the fire down the mountainside. The highway was not reopened until 5:54 a.m. Monday morning.
The fire was growing and moving at such a high rate of speed that Sheriff Chris Hoffman decided to skip Stage 1 evacuation procedures and jump directly to Stage 2 in the proximity of the fire. Stage 1 involves door to door notification and preparation procedures, Stage 2 means it’s time to get out. Stage 2 evacuation was put in place from Owings Creek south to Roaring Lion and Gold Creek Loop to Camas Creek Loop. This was soon updated to include Lupine Ridge, Two Horse Lane, Highland Drive and North Gold Creek Loop as well as all of Roaring Lion Road. The full evacuation area is the west side of Hwy 93 from Owings Creek to Hayes Creek.
Evacuation Centers: The Red Cross is set up for evacuees at The River Church at 354 Cooper Lane. The church is on the corner of Cooper Lane and Lewis Lane south of Hamilton.
The Ravalli County Fairgrounds is available for livestock. Fairgrounds Manager Deborah Rogala said that grounds, pens, paddocks and cages were available for emergency use. The gates will be open 24 hours a day. If people arrive at night, they are requested to check in at the Fairgrounds Office the next day. People with horses who would need a stall or a pen should enter through the East Gate on Fairgrounds Road. People with pigs, sheep, goats, rabbits or chickens should enter through the West Gate on Old Corvallis Road by the Fairgrounds Office.
Rogala said that her office was consolidating a list of hay providers and those in need of hay with the Emergency Operations Center and the Humane Shelter. She said the hay could be brought to the Fairgrounds or delivered elsewhere. She said that trailer hook-ups with water and power were also available.
“If you want to help fund this effort,” she said, “get on the internet and visit gofundme.com and look for Hamilton. You can take cash to the Sheriff’s Office.”
At noon on Monday, Emergency Management Director Erik Hoover at the Ravalli County Emergency Operations Center said that information from the front lines was coming in slowly. He said the fire was too hot and conditions too dangerous for the firefighters to get in and assess the actual damages so far, but approximately 500 homes were evacuated or warned they may have to evacuate soon. He said the County Commissioners quickly declared it a local disaster on Sunday, allowing the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office, or any law enforcement operating under its authority, to direct and compel the evacuation of all or part of the population from any area of the county if such action is necessary for the preservation of life, disaster mitigation, response, and/or recovery.
Hoover said the Ravalli County Emergency Operations Center was open and people can call 406-375-6650 for information on evacuation, evacuation shelters and livestock emergency placement.
On Sunday, according to USFS officials, five helicopters dropped buckets of water on the fire. One tanker dropped multiple loads of retardant. Three Hot Shot crews and three Type 2 dozers were at work along with multiple engines and water tenders from every rural fire station in the Bitterroot Valley. Two engines and a hand crew from the Bitterroot National Forest were also on the scene. All of these resources worked through the night to put containment lines in near structures. There were reports of propane tanks exploding.
Overnight, dozer and hand crews were able to punch in containment lines in a good portion of the east side of the fire. They were also able to put out multiple spot fires around residences.
Forest officials and the Sheriff’s Office have confirmed that some structures have been burned in the fire, but on Monday afternoon neither would give any numbers.
Ravalli County Sheriff Chris Hoffman said his deputies were working with the Hamilton Fire Department to identify all the damaged structures and then contact all the property owners before releasing any more information.” He said that might happen at a planned public meeting at the First Interstate Building at the Fairgrounds Monday night.
Hoffman said that a Type 1 Incident Command Team led by Greg Poncin was in the process of transitioning to take control of the firefighting efforts.
“It’s a team we’ve worked with before over the years and we’re grateful to have them here now,” said Hoffman.
As of press time, one fatality related to the fire had been reported. The Bitterroot Star received a death notice from Brothers Mortuary on Monday which stated: “Bruce Lee Robinson, 64, passed away suddenly from cardiac arrest, while evacuating due to the Roaring Lion fire, Sunday evening, July 31, 2016, at home in Hamilton.”
Sheriff Hoffman said that he was aware of the death and a deputy had responded. He said that CPR was administered until an ambulance arrived. He said that he had not seen the coroner’s report and could not comment on the cause of death before press time.
The weather forecast is for more hot, dry weather and high winds.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.