AUGUST 4, 2022
Location: 18 miles southeast of Hamilton, MT, near Skalkaho Highway
Start Date: 7/19/2022 Cause: Lightning Size: 749 acres Completion: 9%
Total Personnel: 313 Engines: 4 Helicopters: 3 Hand Crews: 8
CURRENT STATUS
Northern Rockies Team 5, a Type II Incident Management Team led by Incident Commander Joe Sampson assumed command of the fire on August 3rd at 7 pm. Firefighters will be using an unmanned aerial system (UAS) to identify areas of heat in the Hog Trough and Railroad Creek drainages today, and helicopters will be conducting bucket work on the west and northwest flanks of the fire.
WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR
There is a Red Flag Warning in effect from noon to 9 pm MDT today for unstable conditions, high winds and low humidity. Winds could gust to 35 mph, especially on or near ridgetops. Temperatures will be in the low to mid 70s with relative humidity in the high teens. The fire is burning in the 2005 Signal Rock Fire scar. In areas where the fire is established in unburned fuels, the fire has the ability to burn with intensity in heavy and down fuels.
CLOSURES AND SPECIAL MESSAGES
Skalkaho Highway (Highway 38) is open.
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the fire area. Use of unauthorized unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in a fire area endangers lives of pilots and firefighters.
See Inciweb for specific closure information. Website: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8258/
- • FS #75 Road, from Junction Hwy. 38 and FS #75 to Mile Marker 5 (Skalkaho Creek-Jerry Lake Trailhead #503).
- • FS #5070 and #5071 Roads are closed.
- • FS #711 from its intersection with Hwy. 38 (Skalkaho Highway) to FS Road #75, including ancillary roads leading from the 711 Road.
- • Railroad Creek, National Forest System Trail #77 to Trail #313 at the gate.
- • Weasel Creek, National Forest System Trail #156 from milepost 0.00 at its junction with NFSR #461.
- • A section of the Bitterroot Rock Creek Divide Trail #313, National Forest System Trail #313 where it intersects Trail #77 Railroad Creek, Weasel Creek Trail #156.
- • Skalkaho Creek – Jerry Lake Trail #503, National Forest System Trail #503.