Red-flag alert issued for Flathead as
A forecast of temperatures in the low 90s and a 20 to 30 percent chance of thunderstorms has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a red-flag alert for Wednesday night through Thursday night for the Flathead Valley
Winds could gust as high as 20 mph on Thursday, a critical factor as firefighting agencies remain on high alert.
According to Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Fire Prevention Specialist Ali Ulwelling, extra fire personnel and equipment remain on standby should the predicted weather cause any new fire starts.
“We’re in wait and see mode,” Ulwelling said.
The combination of dry wind and lightning strikes also have the potential to fuel active fires such as the Lolo Peak Fire near Missoula, which has grown over 1,000 acres since Monday and now sits at nearly 39,000 acres.
With the Labor Day holiday weekend approaching and hunting season for upland birds opening Sept. 1, Ulwelling expressed concern about the potential for increased fire hazards.
Flathead County Emergency Communications Center/911 has dispatched firefighters, resources and law enforcement officers to 59 wildland fires and 71 illegal burn incidents since Aug. 1. First responders also have been called out to 27 cases prohibited use of fireworks since Stage 2 restrictions were implemented.
Smoke descended on the Flathead Valley in a big way on Tuesday. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has issued an air-quality alert for Flathead and several other Western Montana counties. It is in effect until further notice due to fire activity in west-central Montana and the Pacific Northwest. Widespread air-quality impacts are expected through at least Wednesday.
The most significant smoke impacts are occurring near the Rice Ridge Fire in the Seeley Lake area; the Sprague Fire in Glacier National Park and Lolo Peak Fire in the Florence area.
The Missoula County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order on Monday for residents near Seeley Lake now under direct threat from the 30,000-acre Rice Ridge Fire. The following areas are now under a mandatory evacuation order:
North: The junction of Montana 83 and Cedar Lane northeast to Morrell Creek Road. The boundary continues along the Cottonwood Lakes Road east to the Forest Boundary.
East: Cottonwood Lakes Road at the forest boundary and south to the northern boundary of the Double Arrow.
South: The junction of Montana 83 and Whitetail Drive east to the junction of Whitetail Drive and Dolly Varden. The southern boundary continues east to include the area north of the Commons Area and eastward to the intersection of Montana Drive and South Canyon Drive, continuing southeast along Montana Drive to the junction with Glacier Drive and then south to the junction with Double Arrow Road, including Pyramid Loop. All areas in the Double Arrow Subdivision to the south and east are included.
West: The junction of Montana 83 and Cedar Lane south to the junction of Montana 83 and Whitetail Drive.
The Missoula County Sheriff has extended the evacuation warning to include the area from the south Boyscout Road north to Tamaracks Resort, west of Montana 83 and east of the lake.
About 600 firefighters are now actively managing the Rice Ridge Fire and have 22 percent of the perimeter contained.
Stage II Fire Restrictions remain in place across the Flathead Valley and most of Northwest Montana.
Under those restrictions, campfires, burn piles and fireworks are strictly prohibited and motorists are not allowed to drive off-road.
The use of explosives, welding or open flame equipment and any internal combustion engines is prohibited between 1 p.m. and 1 a.m.
With hot, dry weather expected to continue, fire restrictions will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
For up to date fire information, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov.
Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.