2009 Wildland Fire Season Heats Up in Montana City

Not only has the temperature been heating up but the fire season has as well. At approximately noon on Thursday July 16th, Montana City Volunteer Fire Department (MCVFD) was paged to a small grass fire in the median of I-15 just north of the South Hills Road bridge. MCVFD responded with Brush 1, Engine 2, and Tender 2. Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) engine 1089 also responded to provide mutual aid. The eight firefighters quickly extinguished the small grass fire. Interestingly, the fire spread quickly even in the very short grass. This is a good indication of just how dry the grass is in the area and how a small fire can rapidly increase in size.

It seemed that MCVFD had just refilled their trucks with water when three DNRC engines along with a helicopter and chase fuel truck and a patrol plane were dispatched to a fire that was reported by DNRC engine 1089. The fire was reported to be up Lump Gulch road, on top of Sheep Mountain, producing bluish smoke and torching trees. Jefferson County was notified and Clancy Volunteer Fire Department (CVFD) and MCVFD were also dispatched.

Upon arrival, the Patrol Plane gave a size up indicating a moderate rate of spread in grass and brown and green trees, with blue smoke and structures within one mile of fire. CVFD and the DNRC engines attempted to access the fire from the Clancy side. MCVFD Brush 1 scouted a route to the fire from the Montana City side. The DNRC helicopter’s Helitack crew proceeded with a direct attack, starting with an anchor point at the base of the fire and began digging a fire line flanking the fire and the helicopter began making water bucket drops. Shortly after, MCVFD Brush 1 arrived and began with a hose lay to the fire. Because there was no access road to the fire from the Clancy side, CVFD was unable to get their trucks to the fire. DNRC crews hiked to the fire from the Clancy side and MCVFD Squad 1 and MCVFD Tender 1 arrived via Jackson Creek Road to assist. Tender 1 made four trips up and down the mountain supplying over 6000 gallons of water to the fire fighting effort. Within about an hour and a half the 27 firefighters that responded to the fire had it contained with a fire line completely around the fire. Mop up operations continued through out the afternoon. DNRC determined the cause of the fire was lightning striking two trees during a previous storm.

The evening of Friday July 17th, CVFD and MCVFD were paged to a large column of smoke behind Blue Sky Heights in Clancy. Burning had been closed for the weekend earlier in the day. CVFD responded with two brush trucks and a structure engine and MCVFD responded with Brush 1, Squad 1, and Tender 1. The fire was a large slash pile. An initial attack knocked down the fire but due to limited water supply it was decided to allow it to burn until Saturday morning. DNRC engine crews remained on scene over night to monitor the fire. Saturday morning, CVFD and MCVFD each brought their large 3000 gallon tenders to the fire. In conjunction with the three DNRC engines, the CVFD and MCVFD tenders, and a logging skidder operated by the land owner, the 15 firefighters from DNRC, CVFD, and MCVFD had the fire out in approximately 1 hour. The land owner indicated that he did not know how the slash fire started.