Friday, August 12
Ravalli County Undersheriff Steve Holton has issued a press release stating that the Stage One Evacuation Alert and Warning for the area west of Hwy 93, from Lost Horse Road to North Gold Creek Loop, would remain in effect at least through the weekend. Most of the area is open to residents and traffic. After meeting with Drew Daily’s Type 3 Incident Management team, Holton said the warning would stay in place in order to provide residents the best notice that there is still a possibility of an evacuation order. Holton thanked the Bitterroot National Forest and the Incident Management Team for their continued cooperation and timely information sharing.
The weather forecast for the weekend will continue to warm and dry the available fuels, with the probability of higher winds on Sunday and into Monday. There is still active fire in the interior of the fire area, and the weather is expected to test the lines on particularly the southern and western edges of the fire.
Holton said as the weather warms and dries, residents can expect to see smoke from the interior of the fire. Engines and crews assigned to the fire are still patrolling to locate and extinguish those hot spots.
To maintain security in the burned areas, and to provide fire crews safer access to the active areas of the fire, roadblocks will be maintained at the following locations to allow for residential traffic only:
• Roaring Lion Road at Springhill Road
• North Gold Creek Loop at Two Horse Lane
• North Gold Creek Loop at Whispering Pines
• Hayes Creek Road at Blue Jay Lane
Resident permits can be obtained at the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or at the individual roadblocks.
Holton said the Sheriff’s Office will meet with the Incident Management Team on Monday morning to assess the evacuation warnings. The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office appreciates the patience of the community, and especially the affected residents through this incident.
Information on the Roaring Lion Fire can be found on Inciweb.