STEVENSVILLE — The Sharrott Creek Fire near Stevensville is continuing to burn although on Monday night, fire crews were unable to make a flight over the fire to get an accurate acre count due to the weather conditions.
“Firefighters have worked really hard the last several days conducting firing operations, burnouts, to reduce the vegetation between our dozer line and the fire's edge so that we could get that line secure,” said Northern Rockies Team 3 Public Information Officer Jeni Garcin. “Those, those operations were very successful. They are continuing to hold that and mop up which is cooling the fire's edge and that's all looking really, really good.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, no structures have been burned and there are none in immediate danger but, crews in the area are performing fire mitigation work near the evacuated structures just in case.
“The north end is looking really good. There's been a pocket of heat up there that they're getting some hand and dozer lines around today and getting that buttoned up so we can kind of get the north end secured” Garcin said.
Thunderstorms and winds are expected Tuesday afternoon and evening with the U.S. Forest Service crews hoping that it will bring rain to area helping cool the fire as the south end continues to be challenging
“The south end has been a little bit more problematic. The original plan was to hold the fire up on the ridge where the retardant was laid early on in the fire. And there was a lot of sub-alpine fir up in that country which can cause spotting a long ways. And so we picked up some spot fires. And there's a good road system in there and trail system and we've been connecting those with a lot of dozer and hand lines and trying to stop it just past it. What we're trying to do today is keep it out of McCalla Creek. They’re doing a little bit of firing operations right now and a little 30-acre piece to sort of button that up.” - Northern Rockies Team 3 Public Information Officer Jeni Garcin
Over 600 people are on call with aerial assets continuing to help in the effort as long as weather conditions allow for flight operations.
An evacuation order for residents of Marmot Lane and Saint Mary's Lookout Trail remains in effect as well as the previously issued evacuation warnings for west of Saint Mary's Road, Salish Trail, Sharrott Hill Loop, and Wankantana Way.
The Bitterroot National Forest has issued an area closure from North Fork Sweeney Creek to Sweathouse Creek.
The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office has updated evacuation orders and warnings for neighborhoods in the area of the Sharrott Creek Fire. Download the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office App for information. Evacuation questions can be directed to the Ravalli County Emergency Operations Center at 406-375-6650.
The Sharrott Creek Fire was sparked by lightning on Aug. 23, 2024.
