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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COOLER WEATHER PROVIDES RESPITE
Moose
Fire Camp, Columbia Falls, Mont. – Strong winds hit the Moose
fire Tuesday evening and caused it to grow about 500 acres, mostly
in the upper Dutch Creek drainage within Glacier National Park. Its current size is now
about 70,800 acres and containment has reached 47%.
Rainfall that
accompanied the frontal system passage was sparse, ranging up to
0.03 inches. This
scattered precipitation wetted down the fine fuels but did not
penetrate into the ground, which remains bone dry. Larger diameter fuels
(1000-hour fuels) were not affected and they continue to burn and
serve as a heat reservoir. On Wednesday, the
cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity kept fire activity
and growth to a minimum.
Resources assigned to
the fire include 647 personnel; 16 crews, 6 helicopters, 24 engines,
6 dozers and 6 water tenders.
For more information call the
Fire Information Center at 892-8970 or 892-9053. Up-to-date information,
current fire perimeter maps and photos are available on the Moose
Fire web site at http://206.129.89.60/moose.
The Flathead National
Forest continues to offer bus tours of the fire area. For additional
information contact the Flathead National Forest at 758-5204 or
758-5208.
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