So the fire season really got started this past Thursday, with a decent storm rolling through western Montana. The SWLO helitack crew has been acting mainly in a support role, as the fires have been small, and either have good engine access or been a long hike in. In the past three days 88Mike and crew have supported 4 fires with buckets, cargo and blivet delivery, and recon flights. We’ve spent most of the time near Bearmouth on I-90 east of Missoula supporting the Grouse Gulch fire with supplies and water. It’s a small fire in a rocky scree slope, and is in an area with no road access and no helispots. While we supported the fire, 4 engine crews hiked in and have put in the hard work to mop it up. We also flew folks into a fire near Lincoln, MT, and did some bucket work on a fire above Salmon Lake, near Seeley Lake, MT. Not really a whole lot, but we’ve been running 12-16 hour days since Thursday, so it’s a start. Hopefully there will be more to keep us busy in the near future.
Pictures to follow eventually…
