Seepay wildfire nears containment

DIXON — Things were looking much better Tuesday at the Seepay 2 wildfire midway between Dixon and Perma. The fire, which is suspected to have been human caused, started Aug. 28 and has covered some 8,000 acres and cost about $3.4 million to fight, is about 90 percent contained with Sept. 15 given as the expected containment date, according to the fire management team's daily report.

As of early this week there were 697 people assigned to the fire including 22 twenty-person hand crews. Equipment includes six helicopters, 19 engines, three dozers and 12 water tenders.

The North Idaho Incident Management Team, under the leadership of Incident Commander Bill Cowin, continues to oversee the fire. Flathead Agency BIA and Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribe have jurisdiction in the area and other cooperating agencies are the Montana DNRC and the U.S. Forest Service. Cause of the fire is under investigation.

Monday's activities included mop-up around almost the entire fire perimeter, with firefighters working to extinguish remaining hot spots within 300 feet of the fire's perimeter. Rehabilitation started on unneeded dozer lines. Helicopters dropped water along the steep cliff-face above Perma. Structure protection engines remained at Perma, although the risk is very low. Power was restored to the Burlington Northern microwave tower.

Tuesday's plan was to continue aggressive mop-up on all sections of the perimeter. Hotshot crews were to be sent into the steep area above Perma to direct attack the fire and dig the fires out of the rock crevices. Helicopters would support them with water drops as necessary. The incident management team will start downsizing the firefighting force and is working on plans to hand fire management back to local officials.

The restricted speed limit on Highway 200 was raised to 45 mph from Seepay Creek to Vanderburg Creek. Motorists are asked to respect the speed limit and use extreme caution when driving through the area.

Stage II fire restrictions remain in place on the Flathead Reservation and the Lolo National Forest.

Residents and visitors are asked to be especially careful with fire during these extreme conditions.