Lily Lake Fire personnel awoke to two to three inches of snow Wednesday and the weather forecast for the next several days is cloudy with rain and snow likely.
The helicopter and personnel are being demoblized and fire officials say that a few Wisdom District people will clear off and clean up the equipment left out on the fire. The fire was turned back to the District Wednesday morning.
This fire, burning since August 13, is being managed for long-term resource benefits, including maintaining natural processes and wilderness characteristics in the West Pioneer Wilderness Study Area. Officials say so far it has burned 2,100 acres.
Hose, sprinkles and pumps have been dismantled and are also being hauled off the mountain. The area closure will be evaluated and rescinded as soon as it is determined to be safe for the public.
(from September 29, 2009)
Fire crews working the Lily Lake Fire are bracing for a Red Flag Warning which has been issued by the National Weather Service for noon until 8:00 Tuesday evening.
Winds out of the southwest have the potential to blow 20-30 mph which fire officials say could caused spots from the fire up to ¼ mile away from the main blaze.
Officials say they plan to use a helicopter to drop water on new spots to the south and on the south flank of the fire to slow spread towards Maynard Mine and Steel Creek.
The Steel Creek Trailhead and Campground are temporarily closed due to helicopter activity in the area.
The fire has consumed just over 1,700 as it continues to burn northeast of Wisdom.
Fire officials say they plan to watch the growth of the fire and try to slow its spread to the south and east. They may also need to turn on the sprinklers and hoses which have been placed around the historical site at Maynard Mine and southeast side of Lily Lake.
There are 37 personnel working the fire which was started by lightning and first detected on August 13th.
There are still some trail closures in effect near the Lily Lake Fire. The area closure is described as being bounded by Steel Creek Trail #3010, Trail #2259, Pattengail Trail #2245, Demijohn Creek Trail #2162, and Eastside Overland Trail #3378.
The lightning caused Lily Lake Fire which is located 10 miles northeast of Wisdom, actively burned on Sunday afternoon and is now estimated at 1,450 acres.
The blaze has been managed as a resource benefit fire, since starting August 13th.
Fire officials report that some spots to the east and the south of the fire perimeter, from the previous day's wind, started showing up on Sunday afternoon.
The fire has burned along the west side of Sand Lake and water was dropped by helicopter on the southeast side of Lily Lake and the southern edge of the fire to slow fire growth toward the Maynard Mine area.
In addition, three sets of hoses and sprinklers, which have been in place for several days, were activated again today to keep the fire away from the Maynard Mine historical site, the southeast end of Lily Lake and the east side of Sand Lake.
Active burning will likely continue along the south and east flanks with spread influenced by dry weather and southwest winds according to fire officials.
There are also some closures in effect due to the fire. The area described bounded by Steel Creek Trail #3010, Trail #2259, Pattengail Trail #2245, Demijohn Creek Trail #2162, and Eastside Overland Trail #3378 is closed for public safety.
For additional information on fire conditions and the closure order call the Wisdom Ranger District (406) 689-3243. Some 37 fire personnel are assigned to the Lily Lake Fire.
- Mark Thorsell reporting from KPAX in Missoula
(from September 27, 2009)
The Lily Lake fire, located about 10 miles NE of Wisdom, has now grown to 1,300 acres. The lightning-sparked fire began burning August 13, but only began flaring up in recent days.
(from September 25, 2009)
Recent hot, dry weather has stirred up the Lily Lake Fire near Wisdom. The fire, which is actively burning once again, is now estimated at 900 acres. A closure order has been issued for the area and its trails. Located about 10 miles northeast of Wisdom, the fire has been burning since Aug. 13.
"Additional personnel have been ordered because of a predicted change in the weather," Wisdom District Ranger Russ Riebe said in a news release.
A closure order, limiting public access into areas threatened by the fire, was issued Friday to be effective immediately. The area described bounded by Steel Creek Trail #3010, Trail #2259, Pattengail Trail #2245, Demijohn Creek Trail #2162 and Eastside Overland Trail #3378 is closed for public safety. The South Fork of Doolittle Creek Road #2421 remains open.
A Red Flag warning has been issued for Saturday afternoon and evening.
"Because of the red flag warning weather prediction for Saturday, additional personnel and a helicopter have been ordered. Sprinklers, which have been in place for several days on the southeast side of Lily Lake, have been turned on. Sprinklers and hoses are currently being put around the historical area of Maynard Mine," according to InciWeb.org.
The last large fire in the area was over 125 years ago and fuel is heavy in the area.
(from September 15, 2009)
The Lily Lake Fire northeast of Wisdom and ½ mile east of Lily Lake has grown to 707 acres and continues to burn in a large area of downed fuels.
The fire grew after a weak storm front moved through the area Monday. On Monday, officials reported the fire had torched 516 acres.
"The most active section of the fire over the last several days has been on the north and east sides. West winds will push the fire upslope to the ridge in the northeast direction with some fire backing down into the head of McVey Creek. Increased cloud cover and moisture will raise humidity dampening fire activity," according to a fire fact sheet from the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
The last large fire in the area was over 125 years ago and fuel is heavy in the area.
Crews plan to monitor fire growth. They will try to keep the fire from spreading west of Lily Lake and south into the east of Lily Creek.
Several trails in the area are closed, including Trail #3380 from the junction going into Lily Lake to Sand Lake, McVey Trail #3098 to the eastside Overland Trail #3378, and the Pioneer Loop Trail #2750 north of Sand Lake to the junction with Demijohn Creek Trail #2162. Trail guards are posted from noon to 8 p.m. at public access points to inform people of current fire conditions.
The Steel Creek Campground and trailhead and the south Fork Doolittle Road #2421 remain open to motorized use.
(from September 14, 2009)
The Lily Lake Fire burning northeast of Wisdom has torched around 516 acres and is burning in an area of large downed fuels. The lightning-sparked fire was first detected on Thursday, August 13th and officials are continuing to watch the growth of the blaze.
The fire has forced officials to close Trail #3380 from the junction going into Lily Lake to Sand Lake, McVey Trail #3098 to the eastside Overland Trail #3378, and the Pioneer Loop Trail #2750 north of Sand Lake to the junction with Demijohn Creek Trail #2162.
In addition, South Fork Doolittle Road #2421 remains open to motorized use and the Steel Creek Campground and Trailhead also remain open to the public.
(from September 12, 2009)
Dry, warm weather and windy conditions over the last few days have caused the Lily Lake Fire to grow to about 475 acres.
The lightning-caused fire that is burning about 10 miles northeast of Wisdom has also led to an emergency trail closure in the area, including a closure of trail #3380 from the junction going to Lily Lake to Sand Lake, McVey Trail #3098 to eastside Overland Trail #3378 and the Pioneer Loop Trail # 2750 north of Sand Lake to the junction of trail #3090, according to a news release from the Dillon Interagency Dispatch Center.
Recreationists and hunters in the area are being warned to use extreme caution when traveling in and around the fire area as burned dead standing trees could fall at anytime and loose rocks and debris could roll downhill.
(from September 3, 2009)
A closure for the Lily Lake area was lifted Thursday, but officials are still asking people to use caution when traveling in and around the fire.
The Lily Lake Fire burned over trail #3380 between Lily Lake and Sand Lake. Trees in the area could fall at anytime and loose rocks and debris could roll downhill, according to a news release from the Dillon Interagency Dispatch Center.
The fire, which is 245 acres in size and is still burning, started from an August 13 lightning strike. Rain doused the fire over the weekend with about .32 inches falling on the blaze. The Lily Lake Fire is located about 10 miles northeast of Wisdom in southwest Montana.
(from September 1, 2009)
Rain doused the Lily Lake Fire over the weekend, leading to a significant decrease in fire activity.
On Sunday, about .32 inches of rain fell on the fire, which continues to burn about 10 miles northeast of Wisdom in southwest Montana, according to inciweb.org. More rain is expected in the area over the Labor Day weekend.
Lightning ignited the Lily Lake Fire on Aug. 13. So far the fire has grown to 238 acres. It is burning in downed timber.
Fire crews will continue to monitor the fire to make sure it stays within the defined area.
Lily Lake, Sand Lake and the area north of Baldy Lake were closed to the public Thursday for public safety. The Steel Creek Campground and trailhead are open to the public.
An area closure order that has been in place since last Friday is being reviewed by district rangers for Wisdom and Wise River in the hope that the area can be reopened for public use before the weekend.
"This fire is not out and you can expect to see smoke at times, if the weather becomes warmer with less humidity" Wisdom district ranger Russ Riebe said in a news release from the Dillon Interagency Dispatch Center.
