Category: News

Fire danger moves to VERY HIGH in Flathead County

Kalispell, MT August 18, 2020 – Today, Flathead area fire managers moved the fire danger rating to very high.

The danger rating is elevated for the Flathead National Forest, Glacier National Park, the DNRC Swan Unit, Stillwater Unit, and Kalispell Unit, and other local state lands. As a whole, Flathead County is also at a very high fire danger.

Fire managers move the fire danger rating to very high when fires start easily from all causes, immediately after ignition, spread rapidly and increase quickly in intensity. All fires are potentially serious. Direct attack may be dangerous except immediately after ignition. Fires require many resources of multiple types and potentially an incident management team.

Very high fire danger means that people should think twice before starting a campfire or working with heavy equipment during the heat of the day. The public should double check that chains aren’t dragging behind vehicles and pay attention to wind and other local factors that could cause a campfire to escape.

“We’ve responded to multiple escaped campfires in the past two weeks,” said Flathead National Forest Hungry Horse District Fire Management Officer Andy Huntsberger. “Stick close to your barbeques, make sure your campfire is dead out when you leave, and make sure to extinguish cigarettes completely. Give us a hand in the coming weeks as we reach peak fire season.”

For information on how to prepare for wildfire season, contact the Community Preparedness Specialist for the Kalispell Unit of the DNRC at 406-751-2270.

Results of the August 4 Flathead County Board of Adjustment meeting

Here is a brief summary of the results of the August 4 Flathead County Board of Adjustment meeting . . .

During the Flathead County Board of Adjustment hearing on August 4, 2020, there were three requests for Conditional Use Permits to operate a “Camp and Retreat Center” on various North Fork properties. Besides the applicants, about 40 North Forkers attended the meeting. Several of them expressed opposition to each of the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) requests during public comment. The objections to the Montana Yoga Adventure application were especially numerous, detailed and vigorous.

The Conditional Use Permit (CUP) request from North Fork Cabins, LLC for the acreage in the Home Ranch area containing the rental cabins was denied.

The CUP request from Northern Lights Land, LLC for the Home Ranch Store property was tabled until next month so that the applicant could supply more information. Unless something changes drastically, approval is unlikely.

The CUP request from Montana Yoga Adventure, LLC for their property on Numa Peak Lane was denied.

UPDATE: County Board of Adjustment meeting, Aug 4, 6pm at Trade Center Bldg!

The County Board of Adjustment will be holding a public hearing in the Trade Center Bldg. (not the usual Expo Bldg.) at the Fairgrounds to decide whether to allow or deny conditional use permits for 3 Camp & Retreat Centers in the North Fork.  One of the commercial operations is on Numa Peak Lane and the other two are in the Home Ranch Bottoms area.  If you would like to comment on these proposed new commercial activities in the North Fork, send an email to Planning.Zoning@flathead.mt.gov and/or attend the meeting on Aug. 4th where public comments will be heard.

Regardless of whether you submit comments or not, it is very important for as many people as possible to attend the Board of Adjustment hearing!

For more information on the permit requests see items 4, 5 & 6 on the agenda or you can email Pat Cole for additional information at pabdc2@gmail.com.

Related document: Board of Adjustment Meeting agenda, Aug 4, 2020 (PDF format)

Wildland Fire Potential Outlook – issued August 1, 2020

As expected, Northwest Montana continues to be projected as above normal for fire activity through August and September. We can all be glad that the moisture we got at the end of June and the first of July pushed our fire season out from becoming active in early to mid July.

But, with the current temperatures, low overnight temperature and humidity recovery, and live fuels suffering due to the combination of those factors, we can become pretty volatile pretty quickly.

The other aspect of this Outlook indicates we will have enough moisture in the air masses pushing up from the 4 Corners area to stimulate convective activity – dry thunderstorms. So, we can wind up with a lot of new starts from lightning.

Probably not telling any of you anything you don’t know – but it is a good time to get those fire tools shaped up, tanks mounted in 4 wheelers, and watching the lightning maps.

Here is the link to the complete Wildland Fire Potential Outlook. As we have said before, these Outlooks are useful but there are no guarantees.
https://nflandowners.org/nflawp/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/August-monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf

North Fork fires in Glacier Park still under investigation — $10,000 reward offered by NFLA

See below for the text of a press release announcing a reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons who set a series of fires in Glacier Park last Thursday, July 23. Before you start wondering how the NFLA got so rich all of a sudden, we are acting as a representative for an anonymous donor. The donor will supply the reward money as needed — up to $10,000. Crimestoppers will manage everything, including the reward payout…
Remains of Ford Creek Cabin after July 23 arson fire - taken July 26, 2020 - GNP
Remains of Ford Creek Cabin after July 23 arson fire – taken July 26, 2020 – GNP

WEST GLACIER, Mont. [July 28, 2020] – Glacier National Park and Flathead Crimestoppers are asking the assistance of the public in providing information on multiple suspected arson fires started in the North Fork area of Glacier National Park last week. The North Fork Landowners Association is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of anyone responsible for the fires.     

 Early in the morning of July 23, a local resident woke rangers at Polebridge Ranger Station reporting a nearby fire. Later, the Numa Ridge fire lookout reported smoke near Ford Creek. Rangers and NPS fire crews eventually found a total of eight fire sites along the Inside North Fork Road between Logging Creek and Kintla Lake. Most had begun in dry logs or brush, but one fire destroyed a historic structure. All the fires were extinguished shortly after being discovered. 

The historic Ford Creek patrol cabin was a total loss when rangers arrived on scene. The cabin was built as a “snowshoe cabin” in 1928 and has been used for decades for winter backcountry patrols. The structure was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as having architectural and historic significance, exemplifying the rustic architecture of early park backcountry structures, and the history of Glacier National Park’s development and administration. The cabin site is approximately eight miles north of Polebridge on the Inside North Fork Road. 

 On the evening of July 22, suspicious fires were also reported at the Glacier Gateway Elementary school and at the Summit Mountain Lodge at Marias Pass.  Fire investigators are working together to see if those fires may be related. 

 Anyone witnessing suspicious activity on the night of July 22 or early morning of July 23 in the Polebridge or North Fork area is encouraged to call Flathead Crimestoppers at 406-752-TIPS (8477).  All calls remain anonymous. Glacier National Park also has a tip line established, 406-888-7077, if you would like to talk with a park ranger. 

Official Press Release (PDF format)

Notice of County Board of Adjustment meeting, Aug 4, 6pm

The County Board of Adjustment will be holding a public hearing in the Expo Bldg. at the Fairgrounds to decide whether to allow or deny conditional use permits for 3 Camp & Retreat Centers in the North Fork.  One of the commercial operations is on Numa Peak Lane and the other two are in the Home Ranch Bottoms area.  If you would like to comment on these proposed new commercial activities in the North Fork, send an email to Planning.Zoning@flathead.mt.gov and/or attend the meeting on Aug. 4th where public comments will be heard.  For more information on the permit requests see items 4, 5 & 6 on the agenda or email me for additional information at pabdc2@gmail.com.

Related document: Board of Adjustment Meeting agenda, Aug 4, 2020 (PDF format)

Summer 2020 Interlocal notes available

For those of you who were unable to attend (or are lousy note takers), we’ve uploaded a set of notes taken by the inimitable Irv Heitz at the summer 2020 Interlocal meeting. Also included is a report from Dave Ring concerning planned DNRC activities in the North Fork.

Click here to view/download the “2020 Notes from Summer Interlocal Meeting, July 8” document (PDF format).

North Fork Land Use Advisory Committee meets at Sondreson Hall, 7:00pm, July 28

Sondreson Hall by Gerry StearnsThe North Fork Land Use Advisory Committee (NFLUAC) meets at Sondreson Hall at 7:00pm, Tuesday, July 28. The committee will be reviewing three conditional use permit applications  for  “Camp or Retreat Centers” at various locations: Montana Yoga Adventures, LLC at 1070 Numa Peak Lane, North Fork Cabins at 8954 North Fork Road, and Home Ranch at 8950 North Fork Road.