Reef Fire

The Reef Fire was a wildfire that was started by a lightning strike and took place in the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana in the United States, near Count Peak. The fire, which was reported on August 13, 2017, burned a more than 10,658 acres (43 km2) and was be contained by October 1, 2017. Instead, it wound up merging with the Rice Ridge Fire.

Reef Fire
The Reef Fire on August 28, 2017
LocationBob Marshall Wilderness, Montana, United States
Coordinates47.348°N 113.402°W / 47.348; -113.402
Statistics[1][2]
Date(s)August 13, 2017 (2017-08-13) ()
Burned area10,658 acres (43 km2)
CauseLightning
Map
Location of fire in Montana.

Events

The Reef Fire was reported on August 13, 2017 at 5:45 PM. The fire, was located near Count Peak in the Bob Marshall Wilderness in the Flathead National Forest. The fire was being fueled by timber and sub-alpine fir. On September 3, the fire had crossed and moved downstream Babcock Creek, Youngs Creek and settled in Otter Creek. Before merging with the Rice Ridge Fire on September 5,[2] the fire was being monitored in its burn and was allowed to take its natural course due to concerns for firefighter safety given the rural location of the fire.[1]


Closures and evacuations

Numerous trails and trailheads were closed due to the Reef Fire, specifically: Cardinal Peak Divide # 136, Cabin Creek #205, Pilot Peak #128, Cardinal Creek #506, Young's Creek #141, Hahn Creek #125, Hahn Creek Cut-across #124, Otter Creek #279 and Blackfoot Divide #278 are closed due to fire behavior.[3]

References

  1. "Reef Fire". Reef Fire. U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  2. Gabbert, Author Bill. "Rice Ridge Fire merges with Reef Fire". Wildfire Today. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  3. "9-6-17 Trail Closure due to Reef Fire, Order# D04-153-S-17". InciWeb. Helena - Lewis and Clark National Forest, U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  • Media related to Reef Fire at Wikimedia Commons


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.