Flathead burn successful

Cooler weather this weekend should mean end of fire season

Flathead National Forest officials said a prescribed fire east of Hungry Horse Reservoir was a success, especially with expected cold and wet weather expected to move into Montana.

The fire, ignited by a flame-spewing helicopter, covered an estimated 600 acres on Tuesday, producing a smoke column that was visible from the Flathead by late afternoon. The burn was expected to continue through Wednesday, when winds and cloud cover started moving into western Montana at the front of cold and wet weather that is expected to last through the weekend.

"The ignitions are going really well," said Allen Chrisman, fire management officer with the Flathead National Forest.

The burns were conducted in the Murray Creek drainage south and west of Great Northern Mountain as part of the 1999 Paint-Emery forest management project.

The project initially involved timber harvest but included about 7,000 acres of prescribed burning as conditions allowed. Those conditions were considered perfect this week, because of the National Weather Service's strong confidence that there would be a "major change" in the weather that is expected to put a big damper on fires across the state.

"We were really comfortable that there was a forecast for a significant change that will bring cold weather and significant moisture," Chrisman said.

The Kalispell forecast calls for at least a 50 percent chance of precipitation duirng the next few days, along with low temperatures in the 30s and highs in the 50s.

Forecasters are even projecting a possibility of snow in western Montana valleys before Saturday, Chrisman said.

Even with the security of foul weather on the horizon, Chrisman said, the prescribed fire has been carried out in a deliberate manner aimed at producing mosaic burn patterns, with clusters of forest canopy remaining intact. A helicopter, fitted with a "helitorch" that drips flammable gel, started the burn at higher elevations, working its way downhill.

"You start at the top and bring it down," Chrisman said. "If you start at the bottom, it would rip up the slope and you would have more intensity than you wanted. There is just a tremendous number of firing patterns that they can use to modify the fire behavior."

The smoke column that appeared over the Swan Range prompted "lots" of calls and some complaints to the Forest Service, Chrisman said.

Some callers were concerned about air quality. Chrisman said the prescribed fire was cleared through a permit issued by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

"Also, a lot of people have a hard time understanding how they can't have a campfire in their back yard, but the Forest Service can go burn 2,000 acres," he said, referring to fire restrictions that have been in place for about two months.

Chrisman understands the complaint. The decision to proceed with the burn could be made quickly by Flathead forest officials, but lifting fire restrictions is a decision that rests with federal, state and county fire officials who have been meeting at least once a week this summer.

Lifting restrictions will be a topic during today's scheduled conference call, Chrisman said.

"I know we will give strong consideration to removing the restrictions, effective before the weekend," Chrisman said. The restrictions mainly prohibit open campfires except in developed campgrounds or recreation areas.

The incoming weather is expected to dampen fires, and fuel conditions, particularly at higher elevations.

Rain or snow, along with cloud cover and higher humidities, are expected to knock down the Holland Peak Fire, which has burned about 1,800 acres on the Swan Range east of Condon.

Several fires have recently been active in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, but they are also burning at higher elevations and may not be after this weekend.

"It's going to take a lot of heat out of them," Chrisman said. "It won't put them out, but it will reduce them significantly."

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com