BUTTE — A Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department crew is fighting a new wildfire, The Long Tom Fire, currently burning 20 miles southwest of Butte in the Mount Haggin Wildlife Management Area. It was first reported on Saturday and is burning in open grass and timber.
The fire is currently at 110 acres and zero percent contained according to a release by the state. Lightning is suspected to be the cause of the blaze.
The area where the fire is burning is remote and difficult to access, and initial firefighting resources consisted of DNRC helitack firefighters, a Type 2 helicopter, and smoke jumpers. Helicopter bucket drops were used to minimize fire spread Sunday with firefighters working yesterday and today to identify opportunities for direct attack, building control lines and extinguishing heat and flame directly adjacent to active fire.
A Type 3 Incident Management Team will take command of the fire Tuesday the 10th at 6 a.m.. Current resources on the fire include three engines (DNRC, Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department), one Type 2 hand crew, and one Type 2 DNRC helicopter, and one Type 1 Helicopter. An additional Type 2 hand crew is enroute, and a Type 1 crew (Interagency Hotshot Crew) has been requested.
There are no structures threatened at this time, but the Continental Divide Trail is impacted and the public is asked to avoid the area and watch for possible future area, road, and/or trail closures.
The fire is under Montana DNRC wildfire protection.
Butte-Silver Bow County and the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest are currently in Stage 1 fire restrictions. Residents and visitors are asked to be extra careful when outdoors to limit human-caused sparks.
Visit www.MTFireInfo.org [mtfireinfo.org] for specific fire restriction information and fire prevention tips.
