The BobCat fire in Musselshell County has claimed 10 primary residences and 13 outbuildings and was 50 percent contained Tuesday morning, according to Musselshell emergency officials.
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The fire has burned just over 30,000 acres, and Monday's cool, rainy weather helped reduce fire activity, the Musselshell County Department of Emergency Service reported on its Facebook page.
Here's the full report:
Bobcat Fire Update:
Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7145
Email: 2020.bobcat@firenet.gov
Facebook: www.facebook.com/musselshellcountydes/ Public Information Phone: (406) 818-5200
Musselshell County DES: musselshellcounty.org/services/disaster-emergency-services-des/
Location: 7 miles southeast of Roundup, MT
Incident Command: Type 2 Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 4, Rick Connell, I.C.
Size: 30,030 acres
Containment: 50%
Structures Lost: 10 primary, 13 secondary (assessments are still being performed)
Personnel: 387
Current Status: Yesterday, the cooler rainy weather greatly reduced the fire activity. Steady rain throughout the day added moisture to grass and woody fuels, slowing the fire’s spread. Firefighters worked to cool hot spots and the fire edge near structures as well as along the western perimeter of the fire near Highway 87. Despite the rain, heavier fuels like down logs and standing dead trees are slow to absorb moisture and will hold heat, possibly producing smoke. Fire suppression operations did not include aerial attack yesterday due to the weather conditions.
Today’s weather forecast includes continuing cooler temperatures, with a high in the 50s. No rain is predicted and fire activity may increase with drier, windy weather. Today will be breezy, primarily terrain-driven winds at 5-10 mph with gusts possible on ridgelines. The low tonight is 31 degrees. There will be a warming trend for the next few days with conditions returning to pre-rain conditions.
Planned Actions: Fire crews and engines will continue to focus on cooling hot spots near structures to reduce residual smoke and extinguish burning material. Crews will employ both direct and indirect operations in areas with active fire behavior and will expand fire control lines. Aerial resources are available to drop water on active areas of the fire. Firefighting operations may be slow to start this morning due to muddy road conditions.
Key Message: Construction on both north and south Old Divide Road and Fattig Creek Road will recommence this week. The road will not be closed but please expect delays or a pilot car as the planned roadwork is completed.
Closures/Restrictions: All evacuation orders have been lifted as of yesterday at 12:00pm. There are no area closures at this time. Please check the County DES Facebook page or inciweb site for updates.
Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR): The current TFR in place for air space over the BobCat Fire (FDC0/3873) will lesson impacts to local aviation operators. Remember that temporary flight restrictions also apply to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones. If you fly, we can’t!
Cooperating Agencies: DNRC, BLM, Musselshell County, Bull Mountain Fire Department.
