By Andi Bourne
Pathfinder 

Evacuations Ordered for Rice Ridge Fire

 

August 31, 2017

Andi Bourne, Pathfinder

Residents of Elm Drive watch Monday night as the Rice Ridge Fire blew up north of Seeley Lake. An evacuation order for this area began during the community meeting Monday night, Aug. 28.

SEELEY LAKE – The Rice Ridge Fire gained steam this week nearly doubling the acres burned from 16,117 last Tuesday to 30,661 acres Aug. 29. Several more evacuation orders were given during the week and Monday night evacuations were ordered for a large portion of Seeley Lake east of Highway 83.

The fire crossed into the Bob Marshall Wilderness Sunday, Aug. 27 near Devin Peak. It continued to spread north and east through Pyramid Pass and toward Leota Peak on the north and Monture Mountain to the east.

Evacuation Warnings were issued for 15 homes in the Kozy Korner and the Woodworth Area Thursday evening, Aug. 24 as fire moved in the North Fork of Cottonwood Creek and Dunham Drainages.

Late Sunday afternoon there was a drone incursion on the fire area and temporary flight restriction. Air attack spotted the drone flying about 1,000 feet below his or her aircraft. All air operations were suspended for the rest of the evening. The incursion is still under investigation.

Monday afternoon, Aug. 28 crews were working on the line between Forest Road 17470 (Drop Point 83 on the map) and the road to Morrell Falls (FR 4353 - DP 90). Firefighters brought fire down with the main fire. The wind shifted from a favorable west wing to a northwest wind, pushing the fire down into the Morrell Creek Drainage.

The waters of Seeley Lake were closed just after 4 p.m. Monday to allow for aerial resources to use the lake.

Firefighters dropped back to their safety zone at DP-100. The DC-10 , a very large air tanker (VLAT) made several drops on the head of the fire as well as other retardant planes, two heavy helicopters and one CL-215 super scooper. Once it was safe for firefighter to leave DP-100 they went back to work. Firefighters worked the line through the night.

At the community meeting Monday night, the Operations Chief Steve Christman estimated the fire was half mile from the north end of the airstrip and a mile from Seeley Lake at 5:30 p.m. The fire was also still north of the Seeley Creek Trailhead when he saw it from the air.

Evacuation orders were given for areas north of Cottonwood Lakes, east of Tamarack Drive and all of the Double Arrow Ranch starting at 5:30 p.m. Incident Commander John Thompson told those in attendance to stay put to get more information about evacuations pending Missoula County Sheriff's Office Captain Andrew Rio's arrival.

When Captain Rio arrived at the community meeting , he told those in attendance that everything east of Highway 83, including all of Seeley Lake was being evacuated.

"So here is the problem, [you are] here at this meeting and want to go home and get X, Y and Z. Look at the position this puts me in," said Captain Rio. "We've been talking about this for three weeks. It is going to be very unpopular but is everyone prepared? That is what we are looking at right now is nobody going home. We are not running around with lights and sirens telling you to immediately go but there is an order in effect."

The Evacuation Order was extended to include all of Seeley Lake east of Highway 83 and north of Whitetail Drive including all of the Double Arrow Subdivision. Evacuation warnings included the area from south Boy Scout Road north to Tamaracks Resort, west of Highway 83 and east of the lake.

Public Information Officer Erin Fryer said that the evacuation order will be lifted when it is safe to do so because, "they don't want to have to do this all again."

As of Tuesday morning, the fire was still burning on US Forest Service land, north of the private and state lease properties. No structures had been lost. Classes at Seeley-Swan High School were cancelled for the week.

Nathan Bourne, Pathfinder

The Rice Ridge Fire made a big push in the drainage behind Mount Morrell Lookout (lit up on the top of the ridge on the left), North Fork Cottonwood Creek and Dunham Drainages Saturday, Aug. 26.

Several local contractors are working on the fire as well as local entities providing areas for fire camp, staging locations and other areas for fire operations. As of Sunday, Aug. 27 these local cooperators included: Bull Creek; Monture Enterprises; Black Canyon Ranch; Bob Marshall Wilderness Brewing; Copenhaver Outfitters; Double Ott Trucking; Hall Wood Processors; J&E Contracting; John Stitt Contracting; Marvin R. Hulett; Sanitation Solutions; Missoula County Public Works; Seeley Lake Elementary School; Seeley Lake Rural Fire Department; Seeley Lake-Missoula County Water; Wayne Cahoon--Log Home Supply and the Greeenough-Potomac Volunteer Fire Department.

Thompson's Incident Management Team said they are thankful for the help of all the cooperators, as well as all the businesses that supplied individuals and equipment for the effort.

For up-to-date information follow the Seeley Swan Pathfinder Facebook page and visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov

 

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