Eagle Mount Fire Morning Update 9/05/09
Incident: Eagle Mount Wildfire
Released: 9/5/2009
DATE: September 5, 2009 TIME: 7:00 AM
INCIDENT: Eagle Mount Fire
INCIDENT COMMANDERS: Joint Command -
Rich Cowger, Chief Columbus Fire & Rescue
Doug Williams, County Assist Team
INFORMATION OFFICER: Linda Williams & PHONE: 868-1487
Dwayne Andrews & Lee Schmelzer
For public to get updated information on the fire status:
Stillwater County Emergency Operations Center Phone - 322-8065
Stillwater County web-site: http://www.stillwater.mt.gov/
Inciweb Site: www.inciweb.org
FIRE LOCATION: 2.5 miles west of Columbus, north of Highway 10 and extending north over Interstate I-90 across the Columbus Hill. The fire is west of Rapelje Road and east of the Springtime Road exit on I-90.
JURISDICTION: Stillwater County - private land and subdivisions
ASSISTING AGENCIES: Fire departments from: Columbus, Absarokee, Molt, Red Lodge, Laurel, Big Timber, Reed Point, Roberts, Nye, Joliet, Park City, & Rapelje.
Stillwater County agencies: Sheriff's Office, Search & Rescue, Disaster & Emergency Services, County Extension, GIS, & Road department.
Other agencies: Montana Highway Patrol, Montana Department Natural Resources & Conservation, Montana Department of Transportation, American Red Cross, & Bureau of Land Management.
RESOURCES ON FIRE:
PERSONNEL: 211
FIRE ENGINES: 31 & 2 Hand crews
BULLDOZERS: 4
HELICOPTERS: 6
WATER TENDERS: 3
CURRENT SITUATION:
ACTIONS TAKEN: Additional resources are assigned to work the fire today. Crews made good progress on building line and controlling fire spread yesterday and during the night. The evacuation order was lifted at 8:00 pm last night and residents have been allowed to return to their homes.
Fire officials have determined that one cabin-like structure and one storage shed have been burned.
There has been a FEMA declaration which allows access to a Fire Management Assistance Grant Program.
ACTIONS PLANNED: Crews will continue line construction and begin mop-up operations today.
SPECIAL CONCERNS: 41 structures are located within the fire perimeter. There is a major power line & substation along with an additional 80 structures potentially threatened that are located some distance outside of the fire perimeter.
Smoke may continue to cause some limited visibility at times along Interstate 90 corridor, but the interstate is not closed. Drivers are advised to drive slowly with caution in the area, yield to emergency vehicles and do not stop along any of the roads.
ACRES: 1,000 acres
Containment - 15%
FUEL TYPE: grass, timber & brush and some steep terrain
WEATHER: High temperatures and light winds. Concern over potential severe weather with winds that could cause erratic and quickly changing fire conditions.
HISTORY OF EVENT: The Eagle Mountain Fire ignited at 3:35 pm on September 3, 2009 north of Highway 10 mile marker 6. The cause is under investigation. Initially the fire ran northwest until a strong local weather front changed wind direction driving the fire northeast. Extreme fire behavior caused spotting up to one-quarter mile ahead of the fire front. The fire crossed Interstate 90 over the Columbus Hill around 5:30 pm.
Stillwater County used the emergency notification system to evacuate residents from Columbus Heights and Eagle Mountain subdivisions.
