Summer of Fire - Linda Jacobs [147]
Fan Fire: 23,325 acres. Started June 25. The fire is reported as contained. One crew is completing mop-up. 25 firefighters, 1 helicopter.
Hellroaring Fire: 62,340 acres (estimated 9,500 acres in Yellowstone NP.) Started August 15. Most of the acreage increase resulted from backfires. Storm Creek continues to advance in the joint burn area and move down Slough Ck. 562 firefighters, 5 helicopters.
Huck Fire: 88,300 acres. Started August 20. Caused the evacuation of Flagg Ranch. Yesterday’s backfire was successful at keeping the fire on the N side of Pacific Ck. Fire activity was low yesterday due to inversion weather conditions. 798 firefighters, 2 engines, 8 helicopters.
North Fork: 229,400 acres. Started July 22 by human. Split from Wolf Lake Fire at Gibbon Falls. The major activity was on the NE where the fire burned past Indian Creek Campground. Resources are being moved to the area to deal with the anticipated advance of the fire into the area S of Mammoth. Mop-up and structure protection are continuing at Old Faithful and West Yellowstone. Additional line construction is being done to the W of the park near West Yellowstone. 1570 firefighters, 49 engines, 22 bulldozers, and 6 helicopters.
Snake River Complex: 210,300 acres. Red Fire started July 1. Shoshone Fire started June 23. Joined August 10. Falls Fire started July 12. Red-Shoshone joined the Mink Fire on August 31. Acreage includes Continental-Ridge and Mink Creek fires. Emphasis will be on keeping fire out of the Lewis River Canyon. Crews continue to work on the South Entrance road, which will remain closed. Mop-up continues. 564 firefighters, 16 engines, 1 dozer, 6 helicopters.
Storm Creek Fire: 81,000 acres. Started July 3. Residents were allowed back into the Cooke City-Silver Gate area, but were evacuated again because of the concern over high winds today. The fire continues to move easterly into the Beartooth Wilderness. A finger of the fire has reached the backburn at the NE Entrance. The SW flank is still hot and is moving toward the Hellroaring Fire. 1172 firefighters, 35 engines, 4 dozers, 6 helicopters.
Wolf Lake Fire: 70,400 acres. Divided from North Fork Fire at Gibbon Falls. No major runs occurred Thursday. Fire continues to spread toward Tower and Lake. Fire is on three sides of Canyon, although firefighters have prevented any structures from being burned. Tower and Roosevelt are well protected. Planning for the defense of Lake continues. 720 firefighters, 40 engines, 2 dozers, 3 helicopters.
In the United States, 68,396 wildfires have burned 3,799,550 acres in 1988.
In the command post of the Mammoth Fire Cache, Clare and Garrett looked over the morning’s fire map. Constructed through infrared imaging, the study continued to be released daily to appease the army of media. Although the outline of the North Fork did not appear to be within striking distance of Mammoth, the copy indicated that resources were being moved in.
A young man from one of the engines spoke over the clatter of printers and ringing of phones. “We just drove in from the south. The North Fork is up on Swan Lake Flat, coming fast.”
Garrett nodded. “We’re just waiting for the latest weather, but I’m guessing that the front is moving faster than expected.”
Ben Mallory, a sixtyish man who headed the cache, handed a flimsy sheet of paper to Garrett. “Four p.m. update.”
Garrett scanned it, the furrows on his forehead deepening. “We’ll be battening down the hatches here by midday tomorrow.” Looking back at the fire map, he withdrew a pen from his pocket and sketched a slender and deadly tentacle of the North Fork that pointed directly at Mammoth. “If we get the predicted winds, we’ll see fire behavior like we’ve never seen before.”
Clare swallowed. “What next?” she asked on behalf of a circle of listening firefighters.
“Evacuation?” someone asked. “Wouldn’t hurt to get the civilians out of the way.”
“That’s up to the Chief Ranger,” Garrett said. “I’m sure he doesn’t want to disrupt his people’s lives any more than he has to. Tomorrow morning should