Fire Update: Goldstone Fire
August 3, 2018, 5:30 p.m.
Contact: Leona Rodreick (406) 683-3984 (w), (406) 660-2347 (c)
What: Wildfire
Detected: August 2, 2018, 6:30 p.m.
Cause: Lightning
Current Size: Approximately 10-15 Acres
Resources on Fire: 1 six person initial attack crew, and one helicopter
Responding Agency: Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest
Location: Approximately five miles west of Reservoir Lake in the Bitterroot Mountains, near the Montana and Idaho state border.
Firefighting resources are currently working to contain the Goldstone fire reported yesterday evening from an aerial fire detection flight. The fire is located in steep mountainous terrain and is burning in heavy mixed conifer fuels (sub-alpine fir, Engleman Spruce, lodgepole pine) with very heavy concentrations of standing dead trees (snags). Firefighters, assisted by helicopters, were able to engage the fire, however fire behavior increased causing firefighters to disengage.
Today crews were able to access and assess the fire. They are now implementing a plan to construct indirect fireline ahead of the fire that will assist in keeping the fire from spreading further to the east. Currently, a red flag warning is in effect for high winds and low humidities until 10 p.m. tonight.
Due to this active fire, people are advised to avoid Trail #1144 which leads to Swift Lake. People are reminded to be careful with all fires; be sure to extinguish campfires completely and to keep motorized vehicles on roads and trails.
For information about this fire and other fires across the country, go online to http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/.
