The Granite County Sheriff’s Office issued a “red” evacuation order yesterday for the Upper Willow Creek area and a “yellow” evacuation warning for the Marshall Creek area due to the Little Hogback Fire, part of the Sapphire Complex burning south of Missoula.
These new orders expand on existing evacuations orders for Hogback Homestead south to Stony Creek, and pre-evacuation notices for Sliderock Mountain area (8/15), northern Rock Creek drainage from Babcock Creek to Bobcat Creek, Butte Cabin to Hogback Homestead, Stony Creek to the Kyle G. Bohrnsen Memorial Bridge, and the Kyle G. Bohrnsen Memorial Bridge to McDermott Gulch on Willow Creek, and Marshall Creek/Black Pine Subdivisions (8/16).
Strong westerly winds aligned yesterday with the slope to channel the Little Hogback Fire downhill into the valley and across the Upper Willow Creek drainage. Firefighters set up structure protection and will spend today shoring up homes in Upper Willow Creek and the Marshall Creek/Black Pine subdivisions. The Little Hogback is estimated at 24,483 acres with 22 percent containment.
Private property and structures in the Rock Creek, Upper Willow Creek and Marshall Creek drainages remain threatened due to the Sliderock Fire, another blaze in the Sapphire Complex. Yesterday, burning operations on the east fork of Brewster Creek secured the fireline on the north side of the fire to remove a remaining pocket of vegetation. Firefighters will patrol for hot spots and suppress them to prevent fire spread. The Sliderock Fire is estimated to be 873 acres with 30 percent containment.
Fire officials and law enforcement will hold a meeting on the Sapphire Complex Fires tonight from 5p.m. to 6p.m. at the Philipsburg High School.
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