Latest news with #Inciweb
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
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State wildfire briefing indicates fire season ‘could be significant'
DNRC Type 5 engine on the Banana Lake Fire. (Photo from Inciweb) With one fire blowing up over the weekend and an expected worse-than-average wildfire season across Montana, Gov. Greg Gianforte touted the efforts of the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, saying they've been able to keep 95% of wildfire starts to 10 acres or less since 2021. During an annual state fire briefing on Monday, he also recognized the 'proactive preparation, coordination and teamwork' he said was needed to keep people safe. The state has seen an early start to its fire season. Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Director Amanda Kaster said her agency is 'more prepared than ever' and thanked the legislature for the passage of wildfire bills during the session. 'The state of Montana and DNRC is prepared for the 2025 fire season, not only through our fire protection program, but through the work we do to reduce wildfire risk across Montana's landscapes,' Kaster said. The briefing also included a long-term weather forecast from Northern Rockies Coordination Center meteorologist Dan Borsum who said computer projections are calling for a dry and hot summer. He also said some weather patterns are similar to high fire danger years in the past – like 2000, 2002, 2006, 2017 and 2021. There's worry about drought impacting large portions of Montana and melted-out snowpack that places higher elevations at increased risk for fire, all of which could stretch resources. 'The multi-year deficits of moisture are starting to hurt us, the overall warm and dry summer forecast, and the fact that we may have fire on the landscape when the wind season approaches in September, because we didn't get that monsoon infusion,' Borsum said during the briefing. 'That has me very concerned that this fire season could be significant.' According to Montana has a higher risk of wildfires than 74% of states in the U.S. Additionally, Wildfire Risk reports more than half of all homes in Montana are at high risk of 'direct exposure,' which the organization defines as homes that 'may be ignited by adjacent vegetation, flying embers, or nearby structures.' A report in Government Technology this week also put Ravalli County among the highest risk for wildfire of any county in America. It said 99% of homes in the county are at 'high risk of wildfire exposure.' Fire experts say building homes out of nonflammable materials and designing them in ways that downgrade fire risk are critical to saving property. Additionally, land management practices like controlled burns, logging thinning operations and homeowners clearing brush from structures can prevent damage and make firefighters' jobs a little easier. Officials with the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, among other land management agencies, spoke at the briefing. Several agencies shared difficulties in hiring firefighting staff for the season, but highlighted their fuels and forest management programs aimed at limiting fuels for wildfires. The Forest Service said they conducted hazardous fuels reduction work on 200,000 acres of Montana forest in 2024, the BLM conducted approximately 38,000 acres of prescribed burns last year, the Forest Service while Fish and Wildlife Service said they burned around 11,000 — an outsized number given the agency's small land presence in the state. Some fire scientists have said prescribed burns are ineffective because of their relatively small scale. While fire prevention was part of the discussion, so was fighting fire — something being talked about at the national level, too. In Washington, D.C. this week, U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Montana, helped push a bipartisan wildfire bill through Congress. The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act passed through both chambers and is headed to President Donald Trump's desk. The bill reauthorizes the sale of both airplanes and parts from the Department of Defense for aerial firefighting efforts. Sheehy founded a company that provides aerial firefighting services. 'Eliminating bureaucratic obstacles to fight wildfires more quickly and aggressively is America First common sense, and I appreciate my colleagues in the House and Senate for their support,' Sheehy said in a press release. 'I look forward to seeing this bipartisan bill cross the finish line so we can better support the brave first responders on the front lines fighting wildfires across the country.' Banana Lake update As of Wednesday, the Banana Lake fire near Plains was listed at 929 acres and 15% containment. Nick Holloway with the Western Montana All Hazards Incident Management Team and spokesperson for efforts on the fire said that four structures had been protected. He also added crews were in the process of mop-up operations, though the situation has been complex. Crews had to deal with seven spot fires on Tuesday, which Holloway said had been a 'huge concern,' though firefighters had contained those blazes. Additionally, the edge of the fire is a mix of burned and unburned materials, a situation they call a 'dirty burn.' It means there's more potential for spotting, which is the process in which sparks and embers get carried by the wind into unburned fuel. 'There could be a spark in one of those unburned pockets, and it's close to the edge,' Holloway said. 'And so during the mop-up efforts, they're going through that, gridding the area to look for residual sources of heat and extinguish them. But it takes a lot longer when you have that dirty burn than when you have a nice, clean edge.' Holloway said the Banana Fire represents a relatively early start to Montana's fire season, and cautioned that the state could be in for a long year. 'Predictive Services has told us it's going to be dry and warm, more so than normal,' Holloway said. 'So that's going to be problematic for this fire season.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Banana Lake fire near Plains expands to 850 acres
The Banana Lake Fire is pictured on Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Inciweb photo) An 850-acre wildfire exploded in size on Sunday about four miles north of Plains. The Banana Lake fire was discovered on Saturday and prompted a significant response from firefighting officials. As of Monday, 17 engines, two helicopters, two hand crews, a hotshot crew and three bulldozers are all assigned to the fire. The Western Montana Type 3 Incident Management Team, led by Ken Parks — the deputy director of the Missoula County Emergency Management Department — assumed command of the incident on Monday. Firefighters were busy over the weekend with structure protection. (Information on what structures were being protected was not immediately available.) The fire started near Locust Hill in Plains and is burning along Highway 28 near Rainbow Lake. Fueling the fire is open timber, and a 'full suppression response' is being implemented per the fire's Inciweb situation report. Fire officials asked the public to stay away from the area. The state's Department of Natural Resources and Conservation media liaison listed for the fire did not immediately return a request for comment. Montana could be gearing up for a long fire season. National Interagency Fire Center maps predict 'greater than usual' likelihood of significant wildfires for half of the state by July and nearly all of it come August. 'Wildfires are a reality in Montana each year, but thanks to increased funding and innovative technology, DNRC is more prepared than ever before to respond quickly and effectively,' Gov. Greg Gianforte said in a press release last week. 'While our teams are equipped and ready to protect homes and communities in the event of wildfire, we also need every Montanan to take simple steps to join us in our efforts to keep our state safe.' Gianforte signed two wildfire bills earlier this month, while vetoing two others that would have impacted local fire departments. How wildfires are to be fought is also a major topic both at the federal level and in the court system. The state has already had several early season wildfires, including one near Wisdom that ended up burning more than 2,000 acres. According to Montana Fire Info, nearly 350 fires have burned in the state this year so far. Rural firefighters throughout the state are starting to see things dry out. That includes Missoula Rural Fire District Lt. Phillip Mediate during an interview with the Daily Montanan regarding unseasonably warm temperatures over the weekend. 'We've had a pretty good wet spring,' Mediate said on Saturday morning. 'We're starting to see the spike in temperatures now. I think the fire danger has moved to moderate, just in the last couple of days, so we're starting to see those grasses dry out … we're starting to head into that season.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Cody Fire in Arizona grows, expanding evacuation orders in Pinal County
Update: This article was published May 21. Here's the May 22 news on the Cody Fire. Fire officials expanded evacuation orders in Oracle, in Pinal County, overnight on May 21 as the Cody Fire continued to grow. The Cody Fire was 0% contained as of the morning of May 22, having burned over 1,000 acres. Winds and bone-dry "flash fuels," such as grasses and shrubs, spurred the fire east overnight, where residents of the town of San Manuel were ordered to prepare for evacuation. Fire officials expect "extreme fire behavior" to continue May 22, according to an update from the U.S. Forest Service. "Wind activity is expected to push the fire quickly over the challenging terrain," according to Inciweb. Ground crews and air resources are responding to the fire, some of whom were already in the area to fight the unrelated Cedar Fire, which crews effectively contained just hours before the Cody Fire began. Four classes of aircraft, ranging from helicopters to Very Large Air Tankers, were available to drop water and fire retardant on the blaze on May 22. Meanwhile, ground crews hustled during the day to extinguish hot spots and establish fire lines. Fire crews set up a containment line on Webb Road, which runs between San Manuel and Oracle, to seal off the fire's northern perimeter while crews use bulldozers to establish another containment line on the fire's southern perimeter. Firefighters are also protecting structures or other important sites at risk near the fire's edge. Several structures along the South Cody Loop Road, southeast of Oracle, are within the fire's burn perimeter. Nonetheless, fire officials commonly emphasize that structures within a fire's perimeter may not get burned, especially if structure owners cleared nearby vegetation, creating "defensible space" that firefighters can use to stave off flames. The National Weather Service forecast sunny, hot, breezy weather for the Oracle area over the week following May 22. Winds are expected to be light, though gusts may reach up to 26 mph on May 23. Winds are expected to come out of the southwest through May 22, potentially pushing the fire east of Oracle and into crews' northern containment line. There is no precipitation expected during the seven-day forecast. Officials are ordering residents in Oracle zones 5 and 13-19 to evacuate, with all other zones and San Manuel on "set" evacuation status, meaning residents should be prepared to evacuate at any moment. Officials first issued an evacuation order for parts of Oracle on the afternoon of May 21, expanding that order later in the evening as the fire spread. A temporary evacuation site was set up at the Mammoth Community Center, at 101 W 5th St., in Mammoth, Arizona, the U.S. Forest Service confirmed. American Red Cross Arizona also opened a shelter at Canyon Del Oro High School in Oro Valley. West American and American avenues, main thoroughfares in Oracle, and South Veterans Memorial Boulevard towards San Manual are closed to all non-local traffic. The following trails and forest roads are closed: Oracle Ridge trail #1, part of the Arizona Trail; Cody trail #9; and Forest Service roads 38, 4454, 4458, 639, 859 are closed. The U.S. Forest Service issued its last update on the nearby Cedar Fire on the evening of May 21, with the blaze 90% contained. The fire burned 10 acres south of Oracle. State and federal agencies announced stage 2 fire restrictions in much of southeastern Arizona, including Oracle on May 21, banning campfires outside designated fire pits and outdoor smoking on public lands in those areas, in an email that was sent to The Arizona Republic. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Fast-moving Cody Fire expands for second day
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rain brings some relief to raging wildfires in Minnesota
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. – Much-needed rain Thursday night brought some relief to firefighters fighting three wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres in northern Minnesota. It was a busy night Thursday, as severe weather moved through western Minnesota, the Northern Plains and the Upper Midwest. Days of high temperatures and low humidity helped the spread of three wildfires: the Camp House, Jenkins Creek and Munger Shaw fires, burning in St. Louis County and Lake County, Minnesota. The cause of all three fires remains under investigation. Each fire quickly grew, forcing evacuations, and prompting the National Guard to join the firefight. Well over 100 buildings have been destroyed by the three fires, but the exact number of buildings is still under investigation. The Camp House fire has scorched 14,852 acres, according to InciWeb. Evacuations remain in place, and the fire is still uncontained. The Jenkins Creek Fire continued to grow Thursday, after strong wind gusts raised concerns that it would spread even more rapidly. Thankfully, rain helped ease some of the fire officials' concerns, St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay said in a Thursday night update. Inciweb reported Friday that the Jenkins Creek Fire had burned 15,570 acres and was 0% contained. Evacuations are still in place. Meanwhile, firefighters are getting ahead of the Munger Shaw fire, which is 25% contained and isn't actively growing, Ramsay said. The Munger Shaw Fire was the smallest of the three wildfires, burning 1,600 acres. Evacuation orders were lifted for that fire on Thursday article source: Rain brings some relief to raging wildfires in Minnesota
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fire in Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest closes part of Big Hole River
Dual smoke columns from the Sawlog Fire is pictured on the afternoon of May 3rd (USFS Photo) A 1,400 acre fire in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest has closed a portion of the Big Hole River. The Sawlog fire is burning about 15 miles northeast of Wisdom. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks closed the river from Muddy Creek Bridge downstream to Sportsman's Park Fishing Access. Sportsman's Park Access Site remains open, the agency said in a release. The Sawlog dispersed camping area is also closed. The water closures are due to the river being used for bucket drops on the fire. On Thursday morning, 173 personnel were on the fire. Smokejumpers and hotshot crews were part of the response, according to Inciweb. The fire was reported on May 1 and the cause is underdetermined and under investigation, Anna Bateson, the Public Information Officer for the Sawlog Fire said to the Daily Montanan. Fire crews have 20% of the fire contained with lines established along the northern and southern borders of the fire. Crews have been making use of previous hand lines and have been working on mop-up duties. Four crews, three engines, and two helicopters have been among the response to the early-season fire. The fire is burning through timber, sagebrush and short grass. Bateson said there are some areas of 'heavy' dead and downed trees near the fire. A cold front passing through the area could put winds on the fire up to 40 mph on Thursday, according to the fire situation report. 'Fire behavior may pick up today just due to the winds with the dry, cold front passes through,' Bateson said. 'So, you know, maybe little more moderate than the smoldering and creeping than they've seen in the past couple days.'
