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Cooler weather helps crews battling Davis Fire

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Fire management officials meet with Lincoln community to address concerns and explain criteria used for prescribed burning

Crews have made significant progress on the Davis Fire with containment estimated at 50 percent as of Monday night. The fire, which began when a prescribed burn by the Helena National Forest was set last Wednesday, is burning about 18 miles southeast of Lincoln between Stemple Pass and Granite Butte lookout tower.

Unseasonably cool temperatures and moisture have aided firefighters in their efforts to improve firelines and work on spot fires outside the fire perimeter with continued support from the air this week. Officials expect to turn the fire back over to local management by Thursday. Total personnel on the 2,100-acre fire has been 445 with cost estimations rising to $1.3 million as of Monday.

Fire management officials, Lewis and Clark Sheriff Leo Dutton and County Commissioner Mike Murray held a public meeting in Lincoln to address concerns, provide information about the prescribed burn, and report on the fire suppression efforts. Lincoln District Ranger Amber Kamps explained the plan involved for the prescribed bum had four goals:

a. Enhance open parks by reducing trees in the area that were encroaching into the meadows

b. Reduce fuels, establishing a natural fire break by removing dead and dying beetle-killed trees

c. Enhance the environment for whitebark pines, opening an area for regeneration, which occurs after a fire

d. Improve elk habitat "We chose to use prescribed fire to achieve those objectives," she said. The plan was in place for Wednesday. The range of weather conditions, temperature, humidity and light winds -- obtained from a spot forecast -- were favorable to achieve our objectives," Kamps said. We expected moisture coming in to put out any residual, smoldering fire, she explained. "The area had received a lot of moisture over the summer, and although it is not typical for us to burn in August, we believed we had a window that we could do that."

When conditions changed Wednesday with hot, dry winds, the lighting was shut down. Crews stayed on the fire Wednesday until about midnight and then returned with more personnel and equipment Thursday morning, said Kamps. High winds exploded the fire about 1 p.m. taking it outside the prescribed burn area. It quickly grew from a 20-acre fire to a 2,000-acre inferno by Thursday night.

The atmosphere in the Community Hall Sunday night was polite at first listening to the Forest Service's reasoning for its decision to burn in August when private citizens cannot but soon became very accusatory and emotion-packed. One resident of Flesher Acres questioned why area residents were not notified of the impending prescribed burn. "Communication for something like this is vital," she said. Others questioned the decision to burn at all when forecasted weather conditions for the area called for hot temperatures and high winds, the worst scenario for any kind of burning.

"Weather conditions at 7,500 feet are different than in the valley," stated Kamps. "It's an imperfect science and I'll admit risky but I didn't intend for this to happen. I'm going to take this experience and learn from it when it comes to lighting fire."

An independent fire investigation will begin with an agency review, said Nancy Peak, Acting Forest Supervisor for the Helena National Forest, regarding decisions made for the prescribed burn, criteria, and actions taken as the fire grew beyond its anticipated borders. I would expect some changes to criteria used for prescribed fire to come out of the review, she said.

To follow information on the fire, go to www.inciweb. com; click on the Davis Fire.



Copyright 2010 Blackfoot Valley Dispatch, Lincoln, Montana. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2011 Blackfoot Valley Dispatch Lincoln, Montana. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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