Trail Closures due to Cabinet Wilderness fire
Wanless Fire near Wanless Lake
August 1, 2007
Editor’s Note: The Kootenai National Forest is announcing new trail closures due to the Wanless Fire burning in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness area near Wanless Lake. The fire is approximately 1 acre in size, burning northeast of Trout Creek on the Cabinet Ranger District. Below is the media release that was sent out on Wednesday, August 1, from the Forest.
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WANLESS FIRE IN CABINET MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS ELICITS TRAIL CLOSURES
Trout Creek, Mont. – The Wanless Fire, located near Wanless Lake in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, is located 9 air miles north east of Trout Creek, Montana off of Wanless Lake Trail #924. This fire was detected on July 27 and is about an acre in size.
The fire is burning in subapline fir and brush on a steep rocky slope east of Wanless Trail #924. The Cabinet District will monitor the fire using air resources for the immediate future. It may be possible to see the smoke from the Trout Creek area. If there is a change in the fire status the public will be informed.
Due to concerns for firefighter safety - steep and inaccessible terrain - this fire will be monitored and managed with a confine strategy by the Cabinet District. For public safety, the Kootenai Forest is initiating trail closures for the fire area.
The following trails will be closed until further notice:
• The Wanless Lake Trail, 924 and the Goat Ridge Trail 921 at the trail junction west of Goat Peak
• The Swamp Creek Trail 912 at the trailhead in Swamp Creek, east of the Cabinet Ranger Station
• The Cabinet Divide Trail 360 at the Lost Buck Pass junction with the Swamp Creek Trail 912
• The trails from the Geiger Lakes Basin at Lost Buck Pass.
The affected trailheads will be posted. Maps of the fire area are available at the Cabinet Ranger Station, 2693 Hwy. 200, Trout Creek, Montana or call for more information at (406) 827-3533.Due to fire activity on the west side of Spar Peak the following trails on the Three Rivers Ranger District, Kootenai National Forest, are closed until further notice. The Spar Peak/Cub Creek Trail #324 is closed from the trailhead (T29N, R34W, SE ¼ SE ¼ Section 29) to the end. The Little Spar Lake Trail #143 is closed from the trailhead (T29N, R34W, SE ¼ SE ¼ Section 29) to the end. The campground at Spar Lake is open.
The District Fire Management Officer, Linda Hubbell, said, “The trail closure is for public health and safety due to a wildfire burning on the West side of Spar Peak.”
Stage II fire restrictions are in effect on all lands in Northwest Montana under the protection of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), Flathead National Forest, Kootenai National Forest, Glacier National Park, Lake County, Sanders County, Lincoln County, Flathead County, Region 1 of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), and US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Stage II restrictions prohibit any open burning, including campfires. Smoking is allowed only in areas cleared of all flammable materials. Motorized vehicles must stay on designated roads and trails. Operating an internal combustion engine, welding, or using explosives is prohibited between 1 p.m. and 1 a.m.
Anyone causing a wildfire can be held financially responsible for damages and suppression costs. Please visit www.mt.blm.gov/fire/restrictions/ for more information about fire restrictions in Northwest Montana, or contact a local fire management office.
Please contact the Three Rivers Ranger District at 406-295-4693 for more information.
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