As of press time on Monday, the Roaring Lion Fire, burning 5 miles southwest of Hamilton on the Bitterroot National Forest, had burned 8,270 acres and the perimeter was 30% contained. 724 people are fighting the fire, which is being managed under unified command of Greg Poncin of the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team and Chief Brad Mohn of the Hamilton Fire Department. The fire consumed 16 homes and numerous other structures.
All residents have now been allowed to return to their homes, although the entire area remains at a Stage 1 Warning and Alert status. Residents returning to their homes are asked to be cautious and watch out for fire-weakened trees. These trees may appear to be completely healthy, but can fall with little or no warning even without wind influence.
Residents are reminded that they will still see smoke, and are asked to not inundate the 911 center with reports of fire. The entire Stage 1 area is being patrolled by fire structure protection engines who are monitoring hot spots and fire activity.
On Monday, crews were conducting additional mop up around homes and patrol containment lines. These efforts are designed to ensure that the line is cold and there are no hot spots that might reignite. Work was continuing throughout the day to extend and strengthen the contingency line between the south flank of the Roaring Lion Fire and the recent Observation Fire.
The south side of the fire remains the area of greatest concern. Fire managers were scouting additional locations to extend containment lines further west up the Camas Creek drainage.
Firefighters and air resources were sent to assist the Bitterroot National Forest on the Lost Trail Fire on Sunday. Some crews and equipment are being demobilized and sent to fires in other parts of the country as the need diminishes on the Roaring Lion fire. The Salvation Army is now set up to accept donations for those homeowners affected by the fire. Contact the distribution center at 406-210-1453.
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) remains in effect over the fire. Check with the FAA or your local flight service station prior to flying in the area of the fire.
Some area closures remain in effect. Contact the Bitterroot National Forest or the Fire Information Office for details.
The Firewise information trailer is located at the Rocky Mountain Grange in Hamilton on 1436 1st Street, south of Murdoch’s on the east side of Hwy 93. The trailer is staffed between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily.
The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management issued the following statement:
“Beginning on Monday, August 8, the Ravalli County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will begin transitioning out of response operations for the Roaring Lion Fire. The Office of Emergency Management will assume working with partners in our community, as well as all of the property owners and residents who have suffered a loss as a result of this fire. We understand that many of you face the long and painful task of recovery, and we will be reaching out to a number of organizations in the coming weeks to identify resources available to our community to assist in immediate and long term recovery.
We encourage victims of the fire to contact their insurance company and review their policies to determine if they have coverage that may cover additional expenses, temporary housing, or any other immediate needs. Please also be vigilant in recognizing scams, fraud or solicitations from people falsely representing themselves in order to take advantage of victims of wildfire.
The Salvation Army has set up a disaster assistance center at 1285 N 1st St. in Hamilton that will assist with donations, volunteer services, information, and other needs for victims and evacuees of the fire. They can bereached at (406) 210-1453.
Residents and property owners of those areas affected by the fire may have some questions or concerns, and those may be addressed to the Office of Emergency Management at (406) 375-6655 or oem@rc.mt.gov.
We would again like to express our gratitude to our community, emergency responders, firefighters, volunteers, and the many others who have helped or donated in the response efforts.”
Prepared by: Erik Hoover, Office of Emergency Management, RCSO