EB and Glacier fire?

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The winds were strong for only about 2 hours this evening. Whew. Also no rainfall (bad) or T-storms (good) when the front passed. but in that 2 hours they did stir up some of the fires-especially the one SW of Libby and a new large fire on the east side of the Park (requiring an immediate evacuation order for the town of Heart Butte, about 600 people). More than 500 total fire fighters (USFS and BNSF), 4 Helos, dozens of pieces of heavy equipment are doing all they can to keep the Sheep Fire from burning down the BNSF facilities, the IWI and the town of Essex. What may happen is a successful defense of the IWI and most of the homes in Essex and the fire could literally "burn around" the heavily defended town and continue on North into the Park. Once it spots across US 2 and the Flathead River the terrain is very steep and it would be difficult to stop.

The Empire Builder's schedule is going to be disrupted periodically for quite some time as the spokesperson for the USFS said today that these fires will likely take several months to extinguish, and only then with great help from Mother Nature.
 
Any one know if the fires are taking out commercial power?. Can imagine that BNSF could loose signals if signal maintainers cannot bring in portable generators. Dispatchers might be hard pressed to run sections of a dark RR.
 
west point said:
Any one know if the fires are taking out commercial power?. Can imagine that BNSF could loose signals if signal maintainers cannot bring in portable generators. Dispatchers might be hard pressed to run sections of a dark RR.
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Good question. AFAIK the power lines run near US 2. Anybody know more?

Also, has there been a national emergency declaration to allow funding for this disaster zone?

PS - thanks Montana Mike for the ongoing updates - hope the smoke don't take too much off your lifetime, and thank you for your reporting.

Also, I've seen the remains of human habitations after a crown fire. The garage is obvious - a slab of heat-expanded chalky-looking what was concrete with a puddle of metal that was the riding mower. Also the kitchen is easy to spot, the melted remains of appliances. And a few piles of dirty glass where the windows were. Zero remains of above-ground structure. Zero.

Hoping Essex and IWI are saved -- but -- how it is for the people on the the ground - residents, firefighters -- I'm an atheist, but I'm praying.
 
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I just went through Essex on the EB last night. No schedule disruption because of the fire. Was on the north side of the train, so I didn't see the fire, but I did see that Essex is still standing! Empty, but there.
 
They shut the power off in the Essex area as a precaution. I was somewhat surprised they are letting the EBs thru at the moment, given the proximity of the fire, but that's BNSF's call. My local BNSF guy says they have rerouted the "majority" of freight traffic away from Marias Pass and of course are not allowing any oil trains thru this area. Images today show the fire line literally a couple hundred yards from the tracks at several locations in the Essex area! The power supplying the signals thru the pass is mostly underground (that may be due to avalanche concerns mainly).

There is a huge power line complex from the Hungry Horse Dam (one of the largest hydro plants in the US), which is perhaps 20 miles to the west of Essex). This dam supplies power to not only NW MT, parts of ID, but to Washington state as well. It is not currently threatened, but if that failed a lot of people, including NW MT would be without power.

The governor declared the entire state a disaster area about a week ago with a special emphasis here in NW MT.

We were so very fortunate that we did not get the strong winds that were forecasted last evening. I just wish we had received some rain!! We might get a little rain today as another front passes by-every drop counts. The area fire incident commander said yesterday that he could use a thousand more firefighters in NW MT, but resources are spread so thin that they are just not available.
 
Thanks Juliet for that post..Essex and Glacier are so dear to my heart...I really hope it doesn't cross hwy 2 into the park..I will be on the EB in 2 weeks...but just to East Glacier..take care
 
JulietEcho and montana mike,

Thanks for the updates! :hi:

I'm glad to hear things are not worse than they are.

Anyone know a non-lightening rain dance, how to seed clouds, both, or something - anything - to make it rain?
 
Thinking many people homeless would gladly scrape the ground for firebreaks. Not qualified firefighters, but qualified firefighters are all sweating and have busted their gutz already.
 
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You're welcome for the updates. :) I have my fingers crossed that the rain we're rolling through this morning makes its way east, and soon.
 
I also appreciate the updates. I've been following this thread as we've been crossing the continent. We're waiting inLA for the Coast Starlight, and I'm still wondering if we'll be able to take #28 on Tuesday.
 
We will hope your EB on Tuesday makes it thru the fire areas. The resources they have brought to bear on Essex may very well save that enclave, but many locals are concerned today about the fire complex just a few miles from Libby. That terrain is heavily wooded and just as bone dry.
 
NW cannonball said:
Thinking many people homeless would gladly scrape the ground for firebreaks. Not qualified firefighters, but qualified firefighters are all sweating and have busted their gutz already.
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I disagree. Most, if not all "homeless" people are afflicted with some combination of mental issues, physical issues, and chemical dependency issues. Anywhere near a fire line is not the place do deal with those issues, especially if becomes an emergency which could easily consume more resources than the "homeless" would provide. Those "homeless" who were anywhere near able likely got the word and have been hired, trained, and are on the fire lines anyway.
 
I am getting ready to leave Chicago on my way west back to Seattle. But as much as I would like to be on the Builder, I decided to go via the Zephyr and the Starlight instead. I will be thinking about everyone who is traveling and living in the fire area. Best wishes to all of you.
 
Is Montana using the National Guard? Lots of States activate them to help in Emergencies?

The Gov is CIC of the States Guard, maybe he could call them upto help the worn out Firefighters and RR workers???

I'm sure the Feds will help with funding and Emergency help too, is FEMA involved yet???
 
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The front went thru dry last evening (just gusty winds for a couple hours), but today we are having a few scattered showers and Thunderstorms in the area (so far just a Trace of rain) along with breezy winds. Some moderate showers appear to be with the T-storms, but also quite a few lightning strikes in the Mountains again. We just can't seem to get any solid period of rainfall here. Normally in the summer time we will get some showers and T-storms with measurable rainfall about every 4th or 5th day (not this year for sure!!). After August, which ends tomorrow, we dry out (Sept and Oct are our driest months of the year in MT) and have to wait until Pacific storms start coming in to Washington and Oregon in early November. As the fire incident commander stated in his AM media statement today-this fire season will be a very long one for us in MT.

Forecast is for sunshine and warming temps with more occasional smoke Monday thru Wednesday.
 
We had a fatality on the CZ this morning (more on my thread) but we are back to only 40 minutes late. Appreciate the updatesupport regarding one of the most special places in my life.
 
Just looked at the rain totals for the last 24 hours in NW MT. The airport here in the Valley had .04 inches of rain. Not much more than a Trace. The NOAA radar estimates for the Park show a few spots may have picked up close to .25 inches, better, but still nothing that would put out a huge fire. We did have a number of lightning strikes in the Mountains today from the T-storms that rumbled thru this afternoon. Too early to tell if there will be any new fire starts. I hope not. The northern part of the Park apparently received little or no rain.

Sorry to hear about a fatality on the CZ.

9 PM (MDT) Update: The Incident Fire Commander has agreed to lift the Evacuation notice for Essex (Yea) as of 6 AM Monday morning. US 2 will reopen ( with escorted vehicle only and no stopping in the fire area) at that time as well.

They were able to do this because they have completed the massive fire breaks and logging operations and now have a large zone that should withstand a northward push by the fire into Essex. I may not be pretty, but the firefighters believe that even if the fire moves north it would have to go around Essex, not thru it. If this were to happen it would still effect US 2 and the BNSF tracks, but at least the area close to and in Essex is now very well defended. At first light assuming weather conditions permit (forecast is for sunny and mild with little wind) a direct attack on the north flank of the fire will commence with all of the helicopter resources they have (at least three more MT National Guard helicopters are expected to join in this effort) to try to put out as much of the north flank of the Sheep Fire as possible.
 
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Good to hear people are getting back to their homes. Thanks for the updates, Mike. I'm crossing my fingers things stay open for my EB ride through the area to PDX this Friday-Saturday. I spent 32 years chasing flames before I retired last year. Maybe I should come out of retirement and lend a hand!
 
PHEW!!! I hope things continue to improve in Essex and that things are no worse than this elsewhere. Clear cuts around the IWI are better than no IWI!

Thanks again! :hi:
 
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