Montana's lone congressman Steve Daines visited the Lolo Creek Complex base camp Friday morning and toured the fire area with U.S. Forest Service officials. Daines is the second member of Montana's congressional delegation to visit the site, as Senator Jon Tester, accompanied by Governor Steve Bullock, visited earlier in the week.
Firefighters are keeping a wary on on the sky as a red flag warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for the area near where the Lolo Creek Complex has already burned over 9,000 acres since Sunday.
The Lolo Creek Complex has already claimed five homes and several outbuildings up Highway 12, and over 1,200 homes were served earlier this week with pre-evacuation notices. Homeowners are concerned as to whether or not their insurance will cover damage caused by a wildfire.
Smoke from the Lolo Creek Complex Fire has been drifting into the Missoula Valley since the two separate fires, the Schoolhouse and West Fork II, started over the weekend.
Currently, there are more than 1,200 homes being threatened by the Lolo Creek Complex fires. All day today, Wednesday, August 21, sheriff’s deputies were handing out protection warning notices to those living north of Highway 12 and west of Highway 93.
August 21, 2013 The Montana Department of Transportation has CLOSED the Fish Creek Road from Interstate 90 (Fish Creek exit) to Highway 12 (at Mile Marker Six) and also Graves Creek/Petty Creek Road until further notice
UPDATE - Wednesday, August 21 7:00 a.m.
Here is Peter Christian's on-air live update with Lolo Creek Complex Fire Information Officer Cindy Super.
August 20, 2013 The Lolo National Forest mid-morning Tuesday issued a Forest Supervisors Order closing the West Fork 2 and Schoolhouse Fire areas to the public. This is also what's being called the Lolo Complex
The Lolo Complex Fire was originally two low-priority fires that did not threaten structures. However, in the past 40 hours, hot weather and winds have fanned the fires into an official state of emergency. Now, the West Fork II fire and the original School House Fire are considered one giant threat as they burn on both sides of Highway 12.
As of August 1, nearly all of southwestern Montana will be under stage one fire restrictions. The new restrictions bring limitations to both smokers and campers that all Montana residents should be aware of.
The 4,869 acre Sawtooth Fire west of Hamilton is now 35 percent contained, and much of that containment is on the important eastern edge of the blaze - which is nearest private property.
The fire has been spreading farther west into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Fir
The fire spread to the west Sunday.