STEVENSVILLE — Crews at the Sharrott Creek Fire near Stevensville are working Monday to keep the blaze in check.
A Monday afternoon update from the Bitterroot National Forest explains work is being done to "build a defense mechanism between the fire and community."
Increased fire and smoke activity will be seen from St. Mary's Peak as firefighters perform burnouts along the east side of the fire.
The 1,048-acre lightning-sparked fire remains 0% contained and the previously issued evacuation orders and warnings remain
in effect.
There are more than 250 firefighters on scene with additional resources mobilizing. A Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team will take over management of the blaze at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27.
A community meeting to discuss firefighting efforts has been planned for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in the gym at Stevensville High School.
The meeting will also be live-streamed at https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverBitterrootNF/ and questions can be asked in the comments section.
The following information was provided by the Bitterroot National Forest on Monday afternoon:
"The burnout spans a mile and a half and should provide an effective anchor point to start securing the fire edge.
Today, firefighters plan to proactively burnout small portions of the east edge of the fire. The burnout spans a mile and a half and should provide an effective anchor point to start securing the fire edge.
- Firefighters have already done legwork to prepare this line.
- Burnouts are done to remove unburned fuel between containment lines and the fire's edge. This strategy allows for better control of fire intensity. If a fire reaches the line with too much intensity, a line may not be able to hold the fire.
** Be prepared to see increased fire activity/smoke on St. Mary’s Peak around the 739/734 road system to the east of the fire starting after 1 p.m. today and well into the evening. This burnout is designed to support control efforts. Safety procedures are in place for firefighter and public safety."
Evacuation orders remain in effect for the following areas:
- West of the intersection of Kootenai Creek Road and Timber Trail, including homes on Timber Trail.
- West of the west side of Sharrott Hill Loop, including homes on Blue Grouse Lane, Redtail Hawk Lane, and Porcupine Lane.
- Marmot Lane
- Saint Mary's Lookout Road, west of Saint Marys Road.
Evacuation warnings are in effect for the following areas:
- North Kootenai Creek Road and west of Wankantanka Way.
- West of the east side of Sharrot Hill Loop.
- West of Salish Trail.
- West of the intersection of Saint Mary's Road and Salish Trail.
- West of Saint Mary's Road to the intersection of Indian Prairie Loop.
A Red Cross shelter at the Latter Day Saints Church at 100 Middle Burnt Fork Road in Stevensville has a supply of food, cots, and water for fire evacuees.
Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton notes that residents over 18 years old who have been evacuated will be able to check their property through roadblocks on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. Identification and proof of residency will be required.
Officials note future closures can be expected to be announced for the Kootenai Creek, St. Mary’s Trail, Big Creek and Bass Creek areas.
The incident command post for the Sharrott Creek Fire has been moved to Fort Owen Ranch in Stevensville.
A recorded message is available on the Ravalli County Emergency Operation Center line at 406-375-6650. Residents are advised to download the Ravalli County Sheriff's Office App to receive information regarding evacuation orders and changes.
People are also encouraged to register with Hyper-Link to receive emergency notifications from the Ravalli County Office of Emergency Management.
According to Bitterroot National Forest officials, So far, helicopters have dropped more than 52,000 gallons of water on the Sharrott Creek Fire while air tankers have dropped 48,000 gallons of retardant.
