OWL FIRE UPDATE

Fire Information:

Information desk, 406-646-0342

Joe Mazzeo, 617-697-6721

Jan Ulrich

Catherine Hibbard

Southern Area Type 2 Incident Management Team

Monday, July 30, 2007

7:00 PM

Location

20 miles N/NE of West Yellowstone within the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park

 Estimated Acreage

2,800 acres

Containment

35 percent

Cause and Date Started

Lightning, July 20

Resources on the Fire

20-person fire crews: 13   Helicopters: 2 Water tenders: 3 Overhead: 128 Camp Crews: 2  Total Personnel:  410

Cooperators

USDA Forest Service, Park County, Gallatin County, West Yellowstone Fire Department

Restrictions and Closures

Some trails and backcountry campsites near the Owl Fire are temporarily closed. Details are available by calling the Yellowstone Backcountry Office at 307-344-2160 during business hours.

Fire Management

Firefighters made good progress cold trailing, constructing and mopping up 2 new miles of line and mopping up 2 miles of line constructed Sunday. Lines on Div C and D, the NW side of the fire, have been completed.  Approximately 15 miles of fire line remain to be constructed. Smoldering and some open flame was observed today.

The Specimen Creek spike camp will be occupied by 74 firefighters tonight.

If critical resources are filled the chosen management strategy should succeed within 17 days.

Plans for tomorrow

Division E on the east side of the fire will be staffed for the first time with 2 crews conducting mop-up, line construction and cold trailing. Cold trailing, direct line construction and mop up will continue on all divisions as necessary.

Fire weather and behavior

Increasing relative humidity, cooler temperatures, light winds and a chance of scattered showers should translate into light to moderate fire behavior.

Other Fire Information

The fire is burning is steep, rugged terrain that is accessible only by trail or helicopter. It is in areas that were impacted by the 1988 fires and which contain heavy concentrations of standing and down snags.

Recorded Information

Additional information is available 24- hours a day by calling 307-344-2580 or on the web at  http://www.inciweb.org/incident/855