The team managing the Sand Creek fire in southwest Montana reported plans Sunday for four hotshot crews and a fifth hand crew to construct a direct handline west of Maverick Mountain toward Old Tim Creek.
The Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3’s daily briefing acknowledged the work could be dangerous.
“Operations will take place in an area with significant snag hazards and difficult terrain,” the team said Sunday.
The word “snag” typically refers to a standing dead tree. A handline is a fireline built with hand tools, and hotshot crews are highly trained crews used mainly to build handlines.
Team 3 estimated the Sand Creek fire’s size to be 31,652 acres Sunday. The fire, which started Aug. 1, is about 7.5 miles southeast of Wisdom. Its intensity led to mandatory evacuations from Elkhorn Hot Springs, Maverick Mountain, the Grasshopper Valley and elsewhere in the vicinity.
During a briefing Thursday night in Wise River, Ben Patten, a lead operations chief for Team 3, responded to a question from the crowd about injuries to date to firefighters.
“We’ve not had any major injuries, major accidents, on this one so far,” he said. “A couple of minor [injuries], but nothing significant.”
Team 3 said it plans to have additional medical personnel and a short-haul helicopter available to respond to any injuries suffered while building the Maverick Mountain/Old Tim Creek handline.
The Sand Creek fire, which is considered 1% contained, received patchy precipitation Saturday, the team said, as did the Bobcat Lakes fire — providing relief after a series of "red flag" days.
The Bobcat Lakes fire started July 31 and is about 13 miles southwest of Wise River. It is now considered 10% contained.
Team 3 provided this overview Sunday for the Bobcat Lakes fire: “Mop-up of the northeast corner is ongoing. Firefighters will conduct strategic firing operations to create a buffer around Jerked Prairie as soon as fuels dry and conditions are suitable. Mop-up will continue along the [Pioneer Mountains Scenic] Byway to increase containment, and firefighters are working to reduce fuel along the Byway between the two fires.”