FRENCHTOWN — Firefighters made significant progress on the lightning-caused Elder 1 fire due to favorable weather conditions, with all spot fires on the south side now contained.
The current size of the fire is 1,034 acres, and it is 14 percent contained. It's burning seven miles southwest of Frenchtown in Rock Creek.
According to the Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 1, currently, there are 232 total personnel assigned to the fire, along with six hand crews, six engines, two helicopters, three dozers, and six water tenders.
Crews continue to mop up remaining heat along the south flank. Direct handline construction on the west flank is complete and holding.
On the northwest corner near Albert Point, crews constructed dozer line along the ridge and reinforced it with fire retardant. Firing operations along that line are underway, with crews planning to complete the work Friday.
On the east flank, most of the fireline is in place. Crews will burn out a remaining section of indirect line Friday to strengthen the area.
But with winds expected on Saturday, the firefighters are planning ahead. That includes confirming structure protection plans are in place and ensuring line resources have clear, safe egress routes should conditions change quickly.
Weather and fire behavior
A ridge of high pressure will continue to drive warm and dry conditions Friday. A strong dry cold front is on track to push through the fire area Saturday afternoon, bringing elevated winds and limited humidity recovery Saturday night. The atmosphere is expected to become fairly unstable during the frontal passage, though no storms are expected. The front will mainly bring mid- to high-level clouds. A fire weather watch has been issued for Saturday afternoon and evening.
Closures
An area and road closure around the fire is in effect for public and firefighter safety due to wildfire activity. Closure information and maps are posted on InciWeb:
- https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mtlnf-elder-1-fire
- https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/lolo/alerts
A Temporary Flight Restriction is in effect over the fire area to allow firefighting aircraft to safely operate. Drones in the area could cause accidents or slow wildfire suppression operations. If you fly, firefighting aircraft cannot.
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