Pagami Creek Fire UPDATE September 23, 2011 35% Containment

PAGAMI CREEK FIRE

Friday, September 23, 2011

Phone: 218-365-3177, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.      E-mail:  PIOPagamiFire@gmail.com
Website: www.inciweb.org/incident/2534           Twitter: Twitter@inciweb

TODAY’S MESSAGE: The Pagami Creek Fire is now 35% contained and remains at 93,669 acres. Fire restrictions were reduced: campfires and charcoal grills are allowed only between the hours of 6:00 PM and midnight in all areas of the Superior National Forest. Within metal fire rings at fee-for-use campgrounds, fires are allowed at any time. The Forest reduced the closure-order area, and the Lake County sheriff lifted all evacuations related to the Pagami Creek Fire. Yesterday, crews constructed over 3 miles of fire line, 3 miles of dozer line, and laid 3 miles of hose. A fire-line explosives kit was delivered to a division on the northern edge for possible use today. The containment line on the northwest side around the point of origin has no heat or smoke and will be patrolled by air. Crews found and mopped up six spot fires on the southeastern side near Forest Road (FR) 356.

ACTIVITIES TODAY:
·         Continue backhauling equipment out of contained areas.
·         Work on direct line from Lake Two to Lake Four, and patrol for hotspots outside the line.
·         Continue to build saw line and lay hose from Lake Four to Hudson Lake to Lake Insula.
·         Extinguish any hot spots found near the containment line.
·         Complete setup for using fire-line explosives on the north central perimeter.
·         Construct direct line and patrol for host spots from Pietro Lake to Gull Lake.
·         Deploy five hotshot crews on the eastern side of the fire.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Community meetings are scheduled Saturday (Isabella Community Center, 11:00 a.m.), Sunday (Vermilion Community College theater, 2:00 p.m.), and Monday (Northern Tier Boy Scout Camp, 2:00 p.m.).
                                                                        
WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR: Thursday’s light drizzle added a trace to .03 inch of rain over the fire area. Today temps will be in the upper 50s. Winds will be light from the south. Humidities will in the mid 40s. Saturday will be warmer with highs in the low 60s. Winds will remain southerly and light with humidities hovering around 40%. Dry, light southerly winds are expected through next Friday. After several days of creeping and smoldering fire behavior, the fire is expected to become more active and spot fires more visible as the ground heats up, temperatures increase, and fuels dry.

AREA/ROAD CLOSURES: Highway 1 is open. The following roads, trails, and areas are closed: FR 381 north from the intersection with FR 377 (Tomahawk Rd.) and all areas north and east of FR 381; FR 373 (Northwest Rd.) south from the FR 377 to the intersection of FR 369 and all areas north and east of this route; FR 369 east from the intersection of FR 369; FR 373 to the intersection of FR 369 and Lake Cty. Rd. 7 (Cramer Rd./Windy Lake Rd.) including all areas north of this route; all areas to the west of Lake Cty. Rd.7 between the intersections with FR 369 and FR 354 (Cty. Rd. 7 is open for travel); and FR 354 north from the intersection with Lake Cty. Rd. 7 and all areas west of FR 354.

SAFETY: Public and firefighter safety is the highest priority. Falling trees are a safety concern. The Isabella area has an increase in traffic due to fire crew activity. Be alert, reduce your speed, and be aware of additional vehicles on the roads. 

DETECTED: August 18, 2011                        CAUSE: Lightning                     ACREAGE: 93,669

LOCATION: The fire started approximately 14 miles east of Ely.

RESOURCES: There are 877 incident personnel: ten hotshot (Type 1) crews, twelve Type 2 crews, and three camp crews. There are also 3 Type 1 helicopters, 2 Type 3 helicopters, 19 engines, 7 dozers, and 2 water tenders.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Area closures and burning restrictions: www.fs.usda.gov/goto/superior/home or 218-365-7600
Smoke conditions: www.pca.state.mn.us