The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1945-08-23
reHdzdrds
In Forest At
High Peak
Fires During Past Week
Have Kept Fighters
Busy In Woods.
IDAHO FIRE DROPPED
ASHES ON THIS AREA

Smoke from forest fires has drift
ed over much of the Kootenai Val
ley during the past five days. SUM-
day evening by 7:30 the sun was
hidden by the pail Of smoke drifting
in from the Brush creek fire in
Idaho. Ashes also dropped in Libby
that evening in the form of small
floating gray flakes.
Following is notice from the
Forest Headquarters regarding the
partial closing of the O'Brien
Creek drainage:
Due to the occurrence, last Sun
day of smoker fire in the O'Brien
Creek drainage-near the mouth of
Studebaker Draw-and to the fact
that O'Brien Creek Drainage is the
source of domestic water supply
for the city of Troy, the supervisor
of the Kootenai National Forest an
nounces the closure of this drain
age to entry by recreationists,
huckleberry pickers and all others
except residents who reside within
the closed area, and timber opera
tors The entire O'Brien Creek
Drainage above the Packers camp
is closed to smoking by anyone
A forest guard will be stationed
at Packers Camp to turn back all
persons other than those excepted
above and to register the entrance
and exit of residents and timber
products operators.
The fire danger Of most Of the
Kootenai Forest is high to extreme
and all community water sheds are
considered critical areas. The oc-
currence of man-caused fires in
these times adds enormously to the
forest fire problem and Mr. Klehm,
the forest supervisor, expresses his
sincere hope for increased public
cooperation for the remainder of
the high fire danger period; which
he hopefully suggests may not ex-
coed another week or two.
There have been several other
fires during the past week in the
Kootenai Forest. The hardest one
of these to handle was the Smith
Mountain fire across the line in
Idaho. 1t was west and trifle
south of Troy, and is frequently re-
ferred to as the Callahan Creek
fire. Over 800 men were needed to
handle the fire which was discov-
cred Tuesday evening of last week
and not brought under complete
control until Friday. Firefighters
here include 100 soldiers from Gel
ger Field, Spokane, is smoke jump
ers were also used. so acres Of non
merchantdble sub-alpine timber
were destroyed here. 1t was espe-
cially difficult to handle this fire
on account of the high winds which
repeatedly whipped sparks beyond
controlled areas.
A small fire Wednesday Of last
week, at Smoky Butte southeast of
Libby, was handled by rs Mexicans
sent out from Warland About six
acres Of forest growth burned.
Saturday evening fire from the
railroad started at Tweed near
Ural on the east side of the Koote-
MIA. This fire was under control by
s a. m. Sunday, but burned over
about 100 acres. The worst fire any
where near this section is the Brush
Creek fire in the Kaniksu forest of
Idaho, north of Bonners Ferry. This
is the fire which sent the smoke
and ashes over into the Troy-Libby
area last Sunday. 1t was thought
yesterday that it would be under
control by p. m.
Forest officials state that, owing
to the extended dry period COM
bined with the exceptional high
winds this section has been ex-
periencing, the present season is
proving to be the most dangerous
in the past or years. Too much
caution and care cannot be taken
by folks in the forest.