Information courtesy of: http://inciweb.org/incident/3030/
Local rancher, Chase Strand had high praise for the work of fire crews. “Fire crews did a phenomenal job, I am very pleased.” Strand and several other ranchers have approximately 400 head of cattle in the rangelands north of the fire. Fire crews working in the areas south of the cattle successfully held the fire lines in spite of today’s extreme fire behavior; allowing the cattle to remain in place and thus preventing a stressful and difficult relocation operation.
Today was a battle of firefighter versus weather. In spite of the above average temperatures and low humidity, fire crews achieved success on many fronts. Incident Commander Joe Lowe remarked, “Today we had some hard fought victories on several parts of the fire. Hopefully, we will have some favorable weather factors tonight that will improve fire conditions.”
Crews working on the Longhorn and Beads Creek Fires, will continue to provide structure protection and improve fire lines, as well as patrol the fire, and mop up. Fire crews are providing structure protection and line construction on the Iron Shell Fire. Residents of the Spring Creek Community remain evacuated from their homes. Evacuation Centers are open at the St. Francis Community Center and the St. Francis Indian School Gymnasium.
Smoke continues to be heavy in the areas closest to the fires, and may settle into lower areas during nighttime. Drivers are reminded to use caution when driving in these areas.
Currently, BIA Roads #30 and #5 are closed into Spring Creek Community.
The Beads Creek Fire is estimated at 6,034 acres and The Longhorn Fire is estimated at 1,414 acres. The Iron Shell Fire is estimated at 10,466 acres for a complex total of 17,914 acres. Change in acres is due to more accurate mapping. Containment for this complex of fires is now at 25% percent. Lighting is the cause of all three fires.
Sicangu News 