Lolo Creek Complex

Everybody who lives here in Western Montana has heard the phrase “urban interface”.

A weather system heading into the area from the west coast will hit western Montana Thursday afternoon, September 5, with the full thunderstorm package.

The National Weather Service has called for a flash flood watch in the area of the Lolo Creek Complex fires due to rain and thunderstorms moving into Western Montana.

Numerous spectacular lightning strikes in the South Hills area of Missoula were reported on Thursday evening, as a strong storm cell swept through the area, bringing with it strong, gusty winds and soaking rains in some locations.

The basketball court and baseball fields at the Lolo schools were filled with firefighters and firefighting tools , August 29. Lolo Middle School Principal Shawna Kientz said it was meaningful to see the children visiting with the firefighters that had helped save their school from the Lolo Creek Complex.

UPDATE - Thursday, August 29, 7 a.m. Peter Christian spoke with Fire Information Officer Dave Schmitt on the Montana Morning radio show. Schmitt said the fire is now 70 percent contained.

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.

About 110 Montana National Guard soldiers are being deployed to help firefighting efforts in western Montana. This is the first fire related deployment of 2013.