HAMILTON - A Type II Incident Management Team has taken over at the 749-acre Hog Trough Fire burning on the Bitterroot National Forest.
The blaze — which is 18 miles southeast of Hamilton — was discovered on July 17 and is burning in rugged and remote terrain in the burn fire scar from the 2005 Signal Rock Fire.
No structures are currently threatened.
Firefighters will be using an unmanned aerial system to identify areas of heat in the Hog Trough and Railroad Creek drainages, and helicopters will be dropping water on the west and northwest flanks of the fire.
A Red Flag Warning in effect from until 9 p.m. on Thursday with wind gusts of 35 mph possible, especially on or near ridgetops.
Forest Service 75 (Skalkaho-Rye) Road is currently closed from the junction of Skalkaho Highway to near the Skalkaho Creek Trailhead. Forest Service 5071 Road is closed.
There are 313 people assigned to the Hog Trough Fire which is 9% contained.
The following roads and trails are closed to the public:
CLOSURES:
- Railroad Creek, National Forest System Trail #77 to Trail#313 C at the gate.
- Weasel Creek, National Forest System Trail #156, from milepost 0.00 at its junction with NFSR #461.
- A section of the Chain of Lakes Trail #313, National Forest System Trail #313 where it intersects Trail #77 Railroad Creek, Weasel Creek Trail #156.
- Skalkaho Creek -Jerry Lake Trail #503, National Forest System Trail #503.
- US Forest Service Road #75, Rye Creek Rd, from the Junction with Highway 38 (Skalkaho Highway) to the junction with Skalkaho Creek, Jerry Lake Trailhead #503.
- 6. US Forest Service 5070 (Sand Basin Cr) Road is currently closed.
- US Forest Service Road #711 from its intersection with Highway 38 (Skalkaho Highway) to the US Forest Service Road #75, including ancillary roads leading from the 711 road [FSR Roads #5783, FSR Road # 62622, FSR Road 13257, FSR Road # 711A].
All NFS Lands on the Darby Ranger District of the Bitterroot National Forest in the area bounded at the Junction of the 75 (Skalkaho Road) and Trail #77 which runs east for 3.52 miles where it intersects at the Junction of Trail #313 (Chain of Lakes); head south along Trail #313 for 0.50 miles south where it intersects Trail #156 (Weasel Creek) and south along Trail #313 for 2.75 miles to the Trail #503; travel west along Trail #503 for 4.50 miles west toward the 75 Road.
The USDA FS 75 Road is now closed from the Junction with the Skalkaho Highway 38 to the Jerry Lake Trailhead #503/Skalkaho Creek junction.
Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest Area Closure:
- See Closure Map and Closure Order for Pintler Ranger Station of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest Closure Area
Bitterroot National Forest Area Closure:
- See Closure Map and Closure Order for Darby Ranger Station of the Bitterroot National Forest Closure Area.
