Nearly 30 fire engines and water tenders meet at the end of their shift Friday night. They have been out patrolling and setting up structure protection along Highway 83, in the Double Arrow Ranch and around the Seeley Lake Airport.
Rice Ridge Fire Morning Update: The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Rice Ridge Fire area from 2pm Saturday to 9pm Sunday for hot and dry weather, atmospheric instability, gusty winds and poor overnight humidity recovery. Fire managers expect an increase in fire activity and are preparing to strengthen containment lines with increasing overnight staffing during the Red Flag period, especially in critical areas around the fire perimeter and in Double Arrow Ranch. A cold front will arrive Sunday afternoon bringing gusty winds from the southwest, however a 50 percent chance of rain could also provide much needed precipitation.
The Missoula County Sheriff Department has ask the Double Arrow Ranch to place road closer signs for non-resident use of the roads. The signs will be placed at Whitetail and Dolly Varden, S. Canyon Road and Montana Dr., and Double Arrow Road. The Homestead Common Area on the Double Arrow Ranch is closed in order to allow Fire Crew's use of this location.
The Rice Ridge Fire grew nearly 800 acres to 11,051 acres yesterday into the Swan Creek drainage and on the east side of Rice Ridge. It is still 10% contained with 578 Firefighters:
11 crews, 35 engines, 3 helicopters, 2 dozers, 17 water tenders and overhead personnel assigned to the incident.
YESTERDAY: Firefighters utilized water and dozers built a line to limit fire growth on the southeast corner near Swamp Creek. Crews nearly completed an indirect line from Morrell Mountain Lookout to the Cottonwood Lakes Road. A specialized team from Missoula, utilized fireline explosives to safely expedite line construction in a hazardous area. Heavy equipment continued working to connect containment lines, which when completed will extend from West Morrell Road (FR-4353) to the 2015 Morrell Complex burn scar. Heavy fuel loading in Sawyer Creek hampered line construction. Aviation support was limited due to smoky conditions, resulting in poor visibility.
TODAY: Fire officials anticipate active behavior where residents and visitors in the Seeley Lake area may see well-defined smoke columns. Firefighters are working to complete the line from Morrell Mountain Lookout to Cottonwood Lakes Road by falling and removing hazard trees. Crews will continue fuels reduction work southward along Cottonwood Lakes Road. On the west flank, heavy equipment will progress on indirect containment line from West Morrell Road to the burn scar from the Morrell Complex. The east flank will spread away from town toward the Bob Marshall Wilderness and be monitored by the air.
Temperatures will be near 90 today with relative humidity in the teens. Winds will be light and variable in the morning. Red Flag Warning issued for this afternoon through tomorrow evening.
Fire activity is expected to increase today due to hotter and drier conditions indicated by the Red Flag Warning.
Fire information booths will be staffed at the Valley Market and Rovero's Hardware Store on Highway 83 from 11am to 6pm.
In the event of an evacuation, the American Red Cross will open a shelter. It is located at the Potomac Community Center, 29827 Potomac Rd., in Potomac. The shelter is on standby, anyone seeking to pre-evacuate that requires assistance or sheltering may call the Red Cross of Montana at 1-800-272-6668. Evacuees are urged to call before leaving for the shelter, as cell phone service is limited at the shelter. More info at http://www.redcross.org/.../disaster-rel.../find-an-open-shelter.
ADVISORIES: As a reminder, the evacuation warning issued within areas of Seeley Lake (including Double Arrow Ranch), remains in effect and residents are urged to be prepared. Residents adjacent to these areas should remain vigilant.
Residents of the area should sign up for Smart911 at http://www.smart911.com to ensure they receive any emergency messages about potential evacuations.
Crews, engines, and heavy equipment use public roads traveling to and from their daily assignments. Residents are urged to slow down and be aware while driving through the area to ensure everyone's safety.
CLOSURES: A closure order is still in effect for the areas surrounding the Rice Ridge Fire. A map and copies of the official closure orders are available on Inciweb. Seeley Lake, the body of water, is still closed to all recreation activities due to aircraft scooping water and will be in effect through the weekend.
The temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the fire has been extended to the south and east. This restriction applies to drones as well. For more information: http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_7_9440.html
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