Fires near Plains cover 603 acres
PLAINS – The Koo-Koo-Sint fires have merged after 25 to 30 mile per hour winds, 95-degree weather and 15 percent relative humidity came together to create perfect conditions for the fire to grow.
The Thompson River Complex is now estimated at 603 acres over all and is staffed by 132 personnel. Helicopters dropping water and retardant planes have also been hard at work on the Koo-Koo-Sint fires.
The complex, which also includes the Spruce Creek and Spruce Creek 2 fires, is being managed by a Type 3 incident management team organization based out of the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District office in Plains, stated a press release.
This morning the teams worked to reassess the situation.
No structures, people or property are currently threatened.
The fires within the complex are very visible from Highway 200 and personnel urge the public to not stop and look at the fire from the highway. Distracted drivers have created a potential safety hazard for both the public and responders.
The Montana Department of Transportation has placed two electronic message-boards to warn motorists of possible rolling debris. The signs are located both east and west of the fire.
A public meeting will be held at the Thompson Falls Community Center at 8 p.m. and both personnel from the fire and the Plains/Thompson Falls District Ranger will be in attendance to answer questions and provide background on the current situation.
Trail No. 445 (Koo-Koo-Sint trail), Trail No. 1102 (Big Spruce Creek trail), and road No. 7668 (in the vicinity of the Spruce Creek fires) are closed due to fire activity.
The complex fires were all caused by lightning and discovered Aug. 1 after a series of storms made their way through the area.
The U.S. Forest Service reminds everyone that Stage 1 fire restrictions were put in place today.
The restrictions apply to campfires and smoking. Campfires are prohibited on both stated and federal lands unless they are in a designated campfire ring in a developed site, listed by the appropriate land management agency.
Counties allow campfires under certain conditions, and it is your responsibility to know what they are before you light a campfire. By state law, a campfire is defined as “a fire set for cooking, warming, or ceremonial purposes; not more than 3 feet in diameter or height; void of overhanging branches; with all combustible material cleared at least 1-1/2 times the diameter of the fire; or a barbecue in a noncombustible container.”
Smoking is prohibited unless within an enclosed vehicle, building, or in an area three feet in diameter, that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
The restrictions apply to any lands outside of designated city limits, regardless of ownership. The restrictions will remain in effect until there is a significant long-term change in fire danger, stated a press release.
The following locations are approved for campfires during Stage 1 Fire Restrictions: Cascade Campground, Copper King Campground, Clark Memorial Campground, West Fork Fishtrap Creek Campground, Fishtrap Lake Campground, Gold Rush Campground, Finley Flats Campground (Avista), Montana State Campground (Birdland Bay area).
Campfires are allowed in these locations only if the campfire rings are either concrete, metal culvert rings, or iron grate type rings. Fire rings constructed of rock at any of the above locations are not approved for fire during Stage 1 Fire Restrictions.
Jurisdictions of Stage 1 Fire Restrictions include: the Bitterroot National Forest, the Lolo National Forest, the Flathead Indian Reservation, MT-DNRC Southwestern Land Office, Missoula Field Office BLM, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Region 2, Counties: Mineral, Missoula, Powell (north of I-90 and Hwy 12), Ravalli, Sanders, county south of the Kootenai National Forest, and Lake County only within Flathead Indian Reservation, the City of Missoula within open spaces and conservation lands, property within city limits in the Area are exempt from the order, Granite County has not implemented restrictions at this time.