Niarada Fire surges to 8,400 acres; evacuations ordered near Spotted Bear complex
The Stony Communications Site is wrapped in fire resistant material as the Tin Soldier Complex burns on the Spotted Bear District of the Flathead National Forest on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. (InciWeb photo)
Command of the Niarada Fire west of Elmo was turned over to the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3 on Wednesday morning.
The lightning-caused fire was sized at approximately 8,400 acres, an increase of more than 3,000 acres from Tuesday. It was moving north and east of Browns Meadow Road north of Montana 28.
The north and east flanks were stopped at Cromwell Creek. The burn scar from the 2022 Elmo Fire is to the east of the perimeter.
The fire was actively burning in Flathead County, with a small portion crossing Montana 28 into Sanders County. Fire activity around Niarada had diminished enough Tuesday to reopen the highway, although travelers were advised of poor visibility in the area due to smoke.
On Tuesday, a Hot Shot crew helped establish a control line on the north flank near Lake Mary Ronan. Aerial resources and ground crews continued to work the fire as well. Cost to fight the fire was estimated at $2.5 million.
An evacuation order remained in place for some residences in the Browns Meadow area. No structures were threatened as of Wednesday.
Management of the nearby Mill Pocket Fire was was turned over to the Northern Rockies Complex IMT Team 3 on Wednesday. It was approximately 2,000 acres in size, west of the Niarada Fire and moving east.
To the south, the Big Knife Fire east of Arlee crossed the Big Knife drainage on Tuesday evening.
CSKT Division of Fire managers said the west flank was the priority with the numerous residences and structures nearby.
“The piece that has crossed the creek is about a mile back in the Big Knife draw and making a run up the ridge,” fire managers reported Tuesday night.
The fire was expected to make it up the ridge by Wednesday.
A new fire cropped up on the Mission Mountains on Tuesday. The Holmes Creek Fire was initially sized at 25 acres, about 10 miles east of Polson. The fire was burning in timber and spreading quickly, according to CSKT fire managers.
Other active fires in the Mission Valley include the 11,000-acre Middle Ridge Fire near Sloan’s Bridge, and the 1,500-acre Communication Butte Fire north of Dixon.
Leo and Kris Fleming, who ranch on a bluff above the Flathead River told the Lake County Leader they lost hay and a hay shed in the Middle Ridge Fire.
“A lot of friends and neighbors came and assisted us in making a fire line, moving equipment and spraying water,” Kris said Monday. Trucks from the Ronan Rural Fire Department showed up too, and applied water to an area to prevent a second hay shed from burning.
“We lost a hay shed and hay and many fences, but we're thankful we didn't lose more,” she said. “It was a fast-moving hot fire.”
A community meeting for the Big Knife, Niarada and Mill Pocket fires is planned for Thursday, Aug. 3, at the Arlee Community Center, 34086 Pow Wow Road, in Arlee at 6 p.m. The meeting will be broadcast live on the CSKT Division of Fire Facebook page. A second community meeting will be held on Friday, Aug. 4, in Elmo.
ON THE Flathead National Forest, the Tin Soldier Complex was sized at 1,472 acres on Wednesday. It consists of four fires on the Spotted Bear District about 17 miles west of Swan Lake.
Mike West’s Flathead Interagency Type 3 Team assumed command of the fire on Tuesday.
Firefighters wrapped the Stony Communications Site in fire resistant material, and were working to protect a hydro-electric plant, the Heinrude residential community and commercial guest ranches in the vicinity.
An evacuation order for Heinrude community was issued by the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office. Some closures were expected on the Spotted Bear district.
West of Stryker, the lightning-caused East Fork Fire grew to 102 acres. It was actively burning on the Flathead and Lincoln county line. A local Kootenai Incident Management Team 3 took command of the fire Tuesday.
North of Seeley Lake, the Colt Fire grew to 6,860 acres. It was 19% contained as of Wednesday morning. Approximately 630 firefighters were assigned to the incident. Cost to fight the fire hit $13 million on Tuesday.
Fire danger across Northwest Montana was rated as "extreme" with stage 1 fire restrictions in place. Stage 2 restrictions are in effect on the Flathead Reservation.