Ash Creek Fire Update, 7/2/12 at 0730

Incident: Ash Creek Complex Wildfire
Released: 10 hrs. ago

ASH CREEK

DAILY INFORMATION FACT SHEET

Clarification on Restrictions and Closure information

 

Date: July 2, 2012 Time: 11:00 a.m.

 

Incident: Ash Creek Complex is made up of the Ash Creek fire and the Coal Seam fire.

 

Incident Commander: Tom Heintz, Northern Rockies Type-II Incident Management Team

Incident Information telephone number: 406-748-3061

Location: Ash Creek Fire began 10 miles east of Lame Deer and spread north and east; Coal Seam is about 6 miles north of Busby.

 

Approximate Size: Ash Creek Fire: 170,000 (plus) acres at 40% containment; Coal Seam Fire: 527 acres with 95% containment.

Resources: Hand Crews: (5) Type I Hot Shot Fire Crews; (9) Type II Initial Attack fire crews; (3) Type II crews from local BIA; Engines: 51; Water Tenders: 4; Dozers: 2; Air Support: (5) Helicopters, (1) Air tanker, (2) Air attack

Total personnel: 598. Injuries: None

Fire Update: At about 3:30 a.m. this morning it was reported that the Ash Creek Fire had jumped Highway 212 West of Suicide Pass and moving Southeast. The area within Sonnette Road on the East and Ten Mile Creek Road on the South was being evacuated by the Powder River County Sheriff’s Office. Broadus-Powder River County Volunteer Fire Department also responded for structure protection, along with additional local community private resources. A pre-evacuation contact had already been made in a large part of that area.

Winds over the fire area yesterday were sustained at 20-25 mph with gusts to 50 mph. Fire Weather for today is expected to be a little cooler at 83-92 degrees, humidity up at 21-26%, and Northwest winds at 10-20 mph. That will be followed on Tuesday by another fire weather watch. Back to hotter and drier conditions.

An infrared flight was accomplished last night for accurate positioning of the areas of high heat on this fire to assist in the suppression strategy. Operational plans maintain the positioning of crews and engines to take advantage of opportunities for direct/indirect flanking of the fire in open country. This morning Tom Heintz stated, “With a somewhat lighter weather prediction today we need to seek out those best terrain and fuel features that give us the best, safest chance for suppression.”

Special Concerns: Ranches and residences remain threatened particularly in the Ashland/Broadus Divide near the leading edge of this fire. Highway 212 between Ashland and Broadus remains closed to fire activity and smoke. Please do not go around the barricades to travel that route. Please respect the fire restrictions in place by the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and local Counties by ceasing fireworks and open fire use of any kind.

The Ashland Ranger District of the Custer National Forest, in Rosebud and Powder River Counties is under Stage 2 Fire Restrictions. Additionally, the Ashland Ranger District has initiated Area Closures due to fire activity on all National Forest System lands North of Highway 212. More detailed explanation of the restrictions and closures is available at the Custer National Forest website http://www.fs.usda.gov/custer.

More Information: Visit Inciweb at http://www.inciweb.org/, email ashcreekfireinfo@gmail.com or call the fire information line at 406-748-3061