Tin Cup Fire Update -- August 8, 2007
Incident: Tin Cup Fire Wildland Fire
Released: 8/8/2007
FIRE UPDATE: Tin Cup Fire
Bitterroot National Forest
August 8, 2007 @ 8:00am
Fire Information:
(406) 821-4247
www.inciweb.org/, or
Location: 4 miles west of Darby, Montana
Date and Time of Fire Start: August 5 at 3:47 p.m. Cause: Under Investigation
Fuels: Timber (Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir)
Cooperating Agencies: Darby Rural FD; Hamilton Volunteer FD, other local area rural FDs, Ravalli County Sheriff & OEM Departments, town of Darby, Darby School District, Montana DNRC, Bitterroot RC&D, Forest Service (USFS), and local government
Estimated Fire Size: 500 Acres Injuries to Date: 0
Estimated Fire Containment: 30% Estimated Expected Containment: TBD
Committed Resources: 131 total personnel that include 4 Fire Crews, 12 Engines, 3 Dozers, 2 Water Tenders, shared Helicopters and Air Tankers, and fire support personnel
Structures Threatened: 100 Structures Damaged: 0 Structures Destroyed: 0
Fire Activity: Active aggressive ground fire, single tree torching, and intermittent crown fires with increased winds have been reported. Variable winds pushed all flanks of the fire and spotting occurred. Fuel conditions contributed to active backing fire behavior with single tree crown torching.
Past and Current Events: Steady winds up to 10 mph with gusts to 20 mph hampered firefighters' ongoing extended attack efforts. Upper reaches of Bunkhouse drainage in the northwest corner of the fire crossed dozer line and ran for an additional 10 acres. Fire spread across the Tin Cup Ridge hand line along the south and east sides of the fire. All fire growth was associated with yesterday's strong winds and dry fuel conditions. Today, fire crews will continue hand and dozer line construction on the north and south flanks for the fire. Firefighters will secure the fire slop-overs in the Tin Cup and Bunkhouse drainage areas and hold the east flank of the fire.
Closures: Tin Cup Road is closed at the USFS boundary; Bunkhouse Road is closed at the end of the pavement; Forest Road #550 is closed below the horse camp at Lake Como; and an area closure was put in place late yesterday for the immediate fire area. Visitors are reminded that the Bitterroot National Forest in is Stage 2 fire restrictions which include no campfires and no smoking outside of a vehicle or building -- except in cleared, designated areas.
Evacuations: Due to active fire behavior, evacuation orders were previously issued (Stage 2) for approximately 37 homes off of upper Bunkhouse Road, Snowy Mountain Road, View Road 3400, Almosta Road, Stags Leap Road, Cerro Gordo Road, Camp 4 Road, upper end of McIntosh Lane, and upper Tin Cup Road. Approximately 47 homes along Ravenwood Road, Northstar Drive, Base Camp Road, Elk Range Way, Moose Meadow Lane, lower part of McIntosh Lane, Singing Pines Road, Mt. Zion Loop, and Wright Way are in evacuation standby (Stage 1). At this time, there are no additional evacuations planned and all previous orders remain the same.
Remarks: Early this morning, Northern California Interagency Incident Management Team (NorCal Team II), under the leadership of Incident Commander Bill Kaage, assumed the management of the fire for the Bitterroot NF. Structure protection is in place and is being coordinated with the local rural fire departments. Federal, state, county, and local agencies are working together and providing assistance in containing the fire. Incident Commander Larry Svalberg's incident management team for the nearby Rombo Mountain Fire is sharing fire suppression resources with the Tin Cup Fire.
A fire update and community meeting is planned for Thursday, August 9 at 7:00pm at the Darby Club House.
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