OWL FIRE UPDATE

Fire Information:

Information desk, 406-646-0342

Joe Mazzeo, 617-697-6721

Jan Ulrich

Catherine Hibbard

Southern Area Type 2 Incident Management Team

Sunday, July 29, 2007

7:00 PM

Location

20 miles N/NE of West Yellowstone within the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park

Estimated Acreage

2,800 acres

Containment

25 percent

Cause and Date Started

Lightning, July 20

Resources on the Fire

20-person fire crews: 13  Helicopters: 2 Water tenders: 3 Overhead: 127 Camp Crews: 2 Total Personnel:  409

Cooperators

USDA Forest Service, Park County, Gallatin County, West Yellowstone Fire Department

Restrictions and Closures

Some trails and backcountry campsites near the Owl Fire are temporarily closed. Details are available by calling the Yellowstone Backcountry Office at 307-344-2160 during business hours.

Fire Management

Firefighters made good progress constructing 1.5 miles of hand line today. Lines on Div C and D have been completed.

Stocking and developing a spike camp was completed .

If critical resources are filled, the chosen management strategy should succeed within 18 days.

Plans for tomorrow

Firefighters will begin mop-up operations on Divisions B, C and D. Direct and indirect fire line construction will continue on Div A, B, and G. 70 firefighters and support personnel will begin overnighting in a spike camp. This will greatly decrease travel time to the fire line and increase productivity. 

Fire weather and behavior

Typical hot, dry weather with decreasing relative humidity and a chance of isolated thunderstorms are predicted for today. There is a slight chance for increased fire activity. A wind shift with the passing of a cold front will be watched carefully.

Other Fire Information

The fire is burning is steep, rugged terrain that is accessible only by trail or helicopter. It is in areas that were impacted by the 1988 fires and which contain heavy concentrations of standing and down snags.

Recorded Information

Additional information is available 24- hours a day by calling 307-344-2580 or on the web at http://www.inciweb.org/incident/855