Granite County Fire Update: September 10, 2022

GRANITE COUNTY – Updates on fires being battled in and around Granite County.

Murray Fire Overview

InciWeb Link - https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8389/#

Firefighters made a lot of progress in the last few days, digging hand line and laying hose to contain and suppress the fire. Due to the rough, rugged, and rocky terrain, access to the fire area has been difficult, but crews and heavy equipment has significantly improved access in the last couple of days. A spike camp has helped to decrease travel times, alleviate access issues, and ensure adequate resources to continue to establish control lines and limit fire growth. The fire is now estimated to be 70 acres and is currently 20% contained after an infrared mapping flight and ground truthing the fire boundary today.

Solomon Fire Overview

InciWeb Link - https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8370/

The Solomon Fire was reported on Aug 24, 2022, and is burning southeast of Missoula, MT in the Welcome Creek Wilderness on the Missoula Ranger District. It is located approximately 6 miles south of Interstate 90/Rock Creek Exit #126, near Solomon Mountain in upper Solomon Creek, approximately 2 miles southwest of the Spring Creek Trailhead (Rock Creek recreation corridor).

The fire is burning in a steep, thickly timbered bowl with snags, or hazard trees, making up about half of the standing fuel and is surrounded to the south, east, and west by the 2007 Sawmill Fire burned area.

The terrain, fuel type, and the presence of snag trees, limit the ability to place firefighters directly on the fire. Firefighter safety is a top priority when assessing engagement on this fire.

The Solomon Fire is being managed under a point protection strategy which means that highly valued resources (such as buildings, infrastructure, or recreational assets) are being strategically protected from the fire, utilizing various natural and geographic features (past wildfires, trails, rock, and cliff bands) while protecting other values consistent with the Welcome Creek Wilderness. Air support, such as helicopters, may be used to slow and limit potential fire spread. Firefighters are patrolling and monitoring the fire via air and from vantage points on the ground and utilizing fuel moisture measurements, field weather observations, and fire models to inform the suppression strategy.