Approximate Location
Incident Overview
The Bielenburg Fire is being turned over to the Pintler Ranger District on Wednesday, September 7. Firefighters will be working to rehabilitate any areas that need attention.
Firefighters worked to make sure that the fire is completely out on the fire's the south and east flanks to protect private property. In addition, firefighters worked to put out the northern portion of the fire where it could threaten a parcel of private property surrounded by national forest.
The western portion of the fire is being allowed to continue burning into the national forest. Area residents can expect to see smokes high on the mountain.
Although the fire burned through the Racetrack Campground, it did not burn through the conifers that surround the campsites. The grasslands, shrubs, and aspen that burned will green up quickly next spring.
The western portion of the fire is being managed for resource benefits. The biggest benefit is breaking up continous forest fuels, which reduces the risk of a catastrophic fire. Because there is less ground fuel in the burned areas, firefighters will have a better chance of keeping fires away from private property in the future. Next spring, elk and deer will find the grass and shrub sprouts especially palatable. Forage will be improved for decades to come.
The Beilenburg Fire was started by lightning about July 13, southwest of Deer Lodge, Mont. Firefighters searched for the fire but weren't able to find it. As the weather warmed and dried, conditions allowed the small, smoldering fire to flare up and winds drove it on July 19. The fire made a much larger push when it was driven by winds of up to 50 miles an hour on the afternoon of September 26.
Road and trail closures in the area have been lifted with warning signs posted to let forest users know of the fire burning in the area.
The management of this fire is under a long-term implementation plan to achieve resource benefit objectives, while at the same time protecting private and State lands to the south and east.
Basic Information
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
|---|---|
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | Sunday July 12th, 2009 approx. 06:00 PM |
| Location | 10 miles north of Anaconda |
| Incident Commander | Gary Lambert |
Current Situation
| Total Personnel | 10 |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,956 acres |
| Fuels Involved | Standing trees killed by mountain pine beetles with fallen dead trees. |
| Fire Behavior | The fire's activity has been dampened by the late fall weather. |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | The fire will be turned over to Pintler Ranger District employees on Wednesday, October 7. Firefighters will be working to rehabilitate areas that need attention. Crews have worked to make sure that the fire is completely out on the fire's the south and east flanks to protect private property. They alsow worked to put out the northern portion of the fire where it could threaten a parcel of private property surrounded by national forest. The western portion of the fire is being allowed to continue burning into the national forest. Area residents can expect to see smokes in that area high on the mountain. The western portion of the fire is being managed for resource benefits. The biggest benefit is breaking up continous forest fuels, which reduces the risk of a catastrophic fire. In future years, the lack of ground fuels in the burned area will make it easier for firefighters to keep fires away from private property. Next spring, elk and deer will find the grass and shrub sprouts especially palatable. Forage will be improved for decades to come. |
|---|---|
| Terrain Difficulty | Medium. |
| Remarks | The road and trail closures in the fire area have been lifted. Warnings are being posted so forest users know that fire is burning in the drainage. |
