Battle Creek Fire 100 percent contained

The West Battle Creek Fire first discovered July 22 is now 100 percent contained as firefighters focus their goals toward mop-up operations after the blaze covered more than 100 acres within 24 hours due to windy conditions and dry weather.

“That first 24 hours, they had some winds that caused the fire grow,” said Aaron Voos, a spokesman with the U.S. Forest Service.

The blaze, caused by a lightening strike, initially started as a “less-than-an-acre fire,” Voos said.

Initial resources included a U.S. Forest Service vehicle and some county support for fire suppression operations. However, the wind carried the fire across about 103 acres, prompting firefighters to call in for additional resources.

“It just kind of blew up on them,” Voos said. “They knew they were going to have a large fire that was complex.”

The burn pattern of the blaze was spotty and grew by spotting and creeping, Voos said. The majority of the fire area was on private land, with some U.S. Forest Service land in the burn area as well.

No buildings were in immediate danger, but the border of the fire creeped close to some cabins, Voos said. However, cool and damp weather and reduced wind helped reduced the risk those cabins faced.

Firefighters evacuated two areas near the fire early on during operations, Lost Creek Campground and the Baby Lake Trail head.

July 24, resources quickly expanded to 100 people working on containing the fire. Resources working the fire included seven engines, three Type II hand crews, one Type II bulldozer, one Wildland Fire Module, one SEAT and two Type III helicopters. A Type I helicopter was also available.

Resources on the fire continued to drop off with increasing levels of containment and cooperating weather.

Union Wireless provided a Cellular on Wheels or COW, which provided cellular service for firefighters in an area with no regular coverage.

“The firefighters within the command center will be using this system to receive updates on weather conditions and to provide feedback to the State and Federal agencies supporting the field operations,” said Eric Woody, a spokesman for Union Wireless.

Only 35 people remained on the fire as of Saturday when the fire was 90 percent contained, according to inciweb.org, a website which provides information about wildfires and other natural disasters in the United States.

Parts of Carbon County are beginning to experience a “critical fire stage,” said Carbon County Fire Warden John Rutherford. But the county is “in good shape for this time of year.”

According to a Bureau of Land Management report on live fuel moisture values, the Cow Creek area near Saratoga has sage brush at 80 percent. That percentage is “well below average and actually lower than last year’s rating at this time,” according to the report.

Rutherford said he hopes cool and moist weather continues to cover Carbon County moving into August.