Lightning Creek Fire grows to 1,600 acres

HOPE — A fire in the Lightning Creek drainage has more than doubled in size since this morning, reaching almost 1,600 acres by 6 p.m., U.S. Forest Service officials said Sunday afternoon.

"Yesterday's instability also resulted in a convective smoke column," USFS fire information officer Kary Maddox said. "Overnight, fire behavior was minimal."

The fire remains east of Lightning Creek, burning between the Mud Creek and Trapper Creek drainages.

The growth of the fire has meant a transition to a Type 3 incident, and an incident management team has been ordered along with numerous other resources, Maddox said.

Type 3 teams typically involve an extended initial attack with varying levels of resources, from several single resources to several task forces and strike teams.

About 42 firefighters have been assigned to the fire, as well as two engines, three helicopters, two excavators, a feller buncher and the Panhandle Hotshots team.

The lightning-caused fire is at 0% containment.

The rapid growth of the fire can at least partially be attributed to heavy dead and down fuels near the Cougar Fire scar. The 2018 lightning-caused fire burned more than 7,600 acres and took months for firefighters to reach containment.

Firefighters have moved to a spike camp closer to the incident.

The fire has grown quickly since it was first reported Wednesday, July 30, thanks in part to storm systems that moved through the region last week. Engines were dispatched shortly after the fire's report, but terrain, access and nighttime visibility prevented any action on the fire, located about eight miles east-northeast of Hope.

Engines and a module of firefighters were able to take direct suppression action, digging a fire line around half the fire, but crews were unable to complete the work due to location, vegetation, terrain and abundant snag hazards in the 2018 Cougar Fire scar, Maddox said.

However, the storms' erratic winds resulted in periods of time when aircraft were grounded for safety, allowing the fire to gain a foothold in the Cougar Fire's fuel load.

Lightning Creek Road (NFSR 419) is closed from the junction of Trestle Creek Road (NFSR 275) south to the Regal Creek crossing. This closure is necessary to protect the safety and welfare of the public and provide for safe firefighting efforts and access, Maddox said.

A temporary flight restriction is in place, restricting all drones and aircraft from operating in the fire area without permission. Any unauthorized aircraft poses a serious hazard to aviation personnel, forcing the grounding of aircraft and potentially delaying fire suppression efforts.

Residents in the Clark Fork area should expect increased fire traffic on South River Road.

While there are no evacuations associated with the fire, USFS officials said it is prudent to be ready for potential evacuations at any time during fire season.

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