Tag: Hay Creek Fire

Area wildfire status, morning of July 31st

Hello, everyone.

This is a summary of local wildfire issues based on information from Lynn Ogle and various other resources. No agency had issued any press releases at the time I put this together at 0720…

Glacier Park: Flattop Mountain Fire, 0.10 acres; initial report 29 July.

Flathead NF: Two hot-spots along the ridgetop in last year’s Hay Creek burn; FNF is sending a ground crew in to check it out; initial report 30 July. (See image below.)

Kootenai NF: Weasel Fire (sometimes called “D3 Weasel”), on the east slope of a ridge to the west of Weasel Creek. It was about 7 acres in extent initially on 30 July, is now 13.50 acres, and is being handled by the Kootenai National Forest. According to Bill Fordyce, “The Kootenai has put a lot of resources on the Weasel Fire. It’s a 10 plus acres. Some of that area burned 5 or 6 years ago so there would be standing dead and down…”

Bill

Approximate position, according to Zoom Earth, of the two hotspots in last year’s Hay Creek burn. The nearest is about 6.5 miles west of Polebridge. We should know more once Flathead NF gets some people up there to look around…
(look for the kind of orangy glows near the left edge of the image. Those spots are *not* to scale, they just indicate rough positions!)

Hay Creek Hotspots, approximate postions, 31 July 22
Hay Creek Hotspots, approximate postions, 31 July 22

Slash pile processing starts next week on Red Meadow and Moose Creek roads

Hay Creek Fire Type 3 Team LogoA note from Rob Davies, Hungry Horse-Glacier View District Ranger:

We will be initiating a contract next week in response to the large slash piles left from the Hay Creek Fire fuel breaks.

Plowing of the Red Meadow road will be allowed up to the Spruce Creek Road (about 2 miles) where that very large slash pile exists.  The contractor will be grinding slash, loading into trucks and hauling back to town.

There are other slash plies up the Moose Creek Road that will also be ground up and hauled off.

The Moose Creek Road is already plowed, which shouldn’t create any issues, but the Red Meadow Road activity will create a situation where snowmobilers need to drive  with their trailers up to the Spruce Creek road junction instead of parking at the bottom where the  North Fork Road Connects to Red Meadow. A turn-around and small parking area will be plowed out at the junction of Red Meadow and Spruce Creek Roads.

Hauling is not expected to be very frequent — maybe two loads a day. Activity may occur all winter until the county sets load limits  in the spring. We don’t know if the contractor will start at Moose Creek or Red Meadow Road but as I get more details I will share them with you.

Feel free to call myself (406-387-3801) or Timber Management Assistant Paul Donnellon (406 387-3807 or 406 260-7264), at the ranger station in Hungry Horse.

Hay Creek Road reopens

Hay Creek Drainage, June 5, 2020 - W K Walker
Hay Creek Drainage, June 5, 2020 – W K Walker

From an email received this morning from District Ranger Rob Davies . . .

We just lifted the closure order for Hay Creek Fire.

The Hay Cr road and the area is all open as of today.

We will have warning signs and people need to be careful of snags within the fire area…

But the entire road is open and safe . Please spread the word.

Time to get your firewood permits!

Hay Creek Fire status update

East side of Hay Creek Fire showing a mix of burned and unburned areas on August 12, 2021 - USFS
East side of Hay Creek Fire showing a mix of burned and unburned areas on August 12, 2021 – USFS

A brief fire update…

According to District Fire Management Officer Andy Huntsberger, there’s nothing going on with the Hay Creek Fire — not even any smoke. If you saw a helicopter buzzing around yesterday, it was picking up a radio communications repeater from Numa Peak that was used during firefighting efforts.

Revised Hay Creek Fire Closure

The areas closed to the public due to the Hay Creek Fire are much reduced. Only the Hay creek drainage west of the Spruce Creek Road intersection remains closed. Everything else is reopening.

Hay Creek Fire - Road, Trail and Area Closures, August 23, 2021
Hay Creek Fire – Road, Trail and Area Closures, August 23, 2021

PDF version: https://nflandowners.org/nflawp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Revised-Hay-Creek-Fire-Closure.pdf

Hay Creek Fire – Update for August 20

INCIDENT UPDATE

East side of Hay Creek Fire showing a mix of burned and unburned areas on August 12, 2021 - USFS
East side of Hay Creek Fire showing a mix of burned and unburned areas on August 12, 2021 – USFS

The evacuation warning for the Hay Creek Fire was lifted by the Flathead Country Sheriff on August 18, 2021. The current Type 3 incident management team will transition to a local Type 4 incident command from the Flathead National Forest on Saturday, August 21 at 0700. Hungry Horse-Glacier View Fire Management will maintain resources on the Hay Creek Fire for the foreseeable future. Crews will continue to cleanup and rehab the fire area.

The last public meeting was held on August 19. There are no more public meetings currently planned.

Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District is currently evaluating rental cabins reopening and the future size and scope of area, road, and trail closures. For current information, please visit InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7712/62192/.

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

EVACUATIONS AND CLOSURES

As of August 18, 2021 the evacuation warnings have been lifted. Road, trail, and area closures are in place. See details at https://go.usa.gov/xFjcA and Current Fire Information – Glacier National Park.

WEATHER AND AIR QUALITY

Continue reading Hay Creek Fire – Update for August 20

Hay Creek Fire – Public Information Map for August 20

Here’s the latest Hay Creek Fire Public Information Map showing fire extent, closures and current evacuation zone boundaries . . .

Hay Creek Fire Public Info Map for August 20, 2021
Hay Creek Fire Public Info Map for August 20, 2021

Unless there’s a significant change in the fire’s status, this map will be updated much less often — if at all — as the Hay Creek Fire winds down. By August 21, Hay Creek Fire operations will be transferred to a local Type 4 team based out of the Hungry-Horse-Glacier View District. From that point, information on the fire will be coming directly from the Flathead National Forest.

PDF version: https://nflandowners.org/nflawp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Hay-Creek-Fire-Public-Info-Map-for-August-20-2021.pdf

Hay Creek Fire – Update for August 18

INCIDENT UPDATE

East side of Hay Creek Fire showing a mix of burned and unburned areas on August 12, 2021 - USFS
East side of Hay Creek Fire showing a mix of burned and unburned areas on August 12, 2021 – USFS

On Saturday, August 21, management of the Hay Creek Fire will be transferred to a Type 4 organization from the Flathead National Forest. A community meeting will be held at the Sondreson Hall on Thursday, August 19th, at 6:00 pm.

Crews will continue to wrap up operations involved with fuel reduction along roads and contingency lines, and patrol and mop up hot spots as needed. The helibase has been moved from the Hay Creek Incident Base in

West Glacier to the Hungry Horse Ranger Station Helibase. Equipment and supplies are being removed from the fire.

The fire received a wetting rain and snow in the higher elevations on Tuesday. From this point on, Hay Creek Fire information will be updated only as there are changes in fire activity or area trail and road closures. For current information, please visit InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7712/62192/.

Northwest 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 AND CLOSURES

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

WEATHER AND AIR QUALITY

Continue reading Hay Creek Fire – Update for August 18