INCIDENT UPDATE

Friday, August 13 will be a day of transition, as the California Incident Management Team 13 turns over control to a local team. The fire is being managed under a full suppression strategy. Last night’s community meeting at Sondreson Hall was well attended and well received.

RAWS site located near Polebridge, MT, August 10, 2021 - USFS — RAWS (Remote Automatic Weather Station) site located near Polebridge, MT, August 10, 2021 – USFS

Fuel reduction work on the Red Meadow road will be completed by tomorrow. Primary indirect fireline in the Spruce Creek area has yielded 130 loads of logs to date, that are staged on the Moose Creek and Red Meadow Roads. A county grader and two water tenders were ordered by the fire. Eleven miles of the North Fork Road has been graded, focusing on sections that have not been treated for dust abatement. Forest roads being use by the fire will be graded next.

An infrared flight last night showed minimal heat in the fire, still focused on the SW and SE corners off the Hay Creek Road. Minimal fire activity is expected again today. Relative humidity remains good, with fuels drying out slowly. Aviation assets from the Hay Creek Fire have supported 6 other fires in the state to date.

Montana is in VERY HIGH fire danger; Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in effect with campfires prohibited. Know Before You Go- Visit www.mtfireinfo.org for additional Montana fire restrictions.

EVACUATIONS

Evacuation Warnings remain in effect. See details at https://go.usa.gov/xFjcA and Current Fire Information – Glacier National Park.

CLOSURES

Road and trail closures are in place. See details at InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7712/62192/.

WEATHER AND AIR QUALITY

Today will be mostly sunny with temperatures between 74 to 80 degrees in the valley bottoms, with light winds out of the NE, up to 10 to 15 mph on the ridgetops.

Due to fire traffic and road construction in the area, travelers should drive defensively. For the most current fire weather forecast go to https://www.weather.gov/wrh/fire?wfo=mso. For smoke and air quality go to http://svc.mt.gov/deq/todaysair/. For current visibility in Glacier NP see https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm.

INCIDENT BACKGROUND

The Hay Creek Fire was reported on the evening of July 21, 2021. It is burning in the North Fork area of the Flathead National Forest at 5,200 – 7,100 feet of elevation. Public and firefighter safety is the number one priority.