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Rice Ridge Fire Information


Click on pictures below to enlarge
Pictures taken from the Double Arrow Ranch in Seeley Lake, Montana.

Part of the Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana on August 16, 2017 Looking northwest from Elkhorn Drive. Click to enlarge. Part of the Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana on August 16, 2017 Looking north from the top of Elkhorn Drive. This is now on the northwest quadrant of Morrell Mountain. Click to enlarge. Part of the Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana on August 16, 2017 Looking north from the top of Elkhorn Drive. This is now on the northwest quadrant of Morrell Mountain. Click to enlarge.

Part of the Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana on August 16, 2017 Looking northwest from Elkhorn Drive.  Click to enlarge.

Part of the Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana on August 16, 2017 Looking north from the top of Elkhorn Drive.  This is now on the northwest quadrant of Morrell Mountain. Click to enlarge.

Part of the Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana on August 16, 2017 Looking north from the top of Elkhorn Drive. 
Part of the Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana on August 16, 2017. This view is looking west from Elkhorn Drive. Click to enlarge. Part of the Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana on August 16, 2017 Looking north from the top of Elkhorn Drive across to Morrell Mountain. A plume of fire and smoke is visible at the summit. The structure at the top right (about 1 mile away) is visible when zoomed in. Click to enlarge. Zoomed in shot of the picture on the left. Part of the Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana on August 16, 2017 Looking north from the top of Elkhorn Drive across to the top of Morrell Mountain. A plume of fire and smoke is visible at the summit. A helicopter getting ready to dump retardant is visible on the upper right when zoomed in. Click to enlarge.

Part of the Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana on August 16, 2017.  This view is looking west from Elkhorn Drive. Click to enlarge.

Part of the Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana on August 16, 2017 Looking north from the top of Elkhorn Drive across to Morrell Mountain.  A plume of fire and smoke is visible at the summit. The structure at the top right (about 1 mile away) is visible when zoomed in. Click to enlarge.

Zoomed in shot of the picture on the left.  Part of the Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana on August 16, 2017 Looking north from the top of Elkhorn Drive across to the top of Morrell Mountain.  A plume of fire and smoke is visible at the summit. A helicopter getting ready to dump retardant is visible on the upper right when zoomed in. Click to enlarge.

According to an article in the Missoulian, it was stated that "Public information officer Chad Mullman said that a planned test burn (backfire) was called off today (8/16/17) due to 'not favorable' conditions."
Yet in the next morning's Rice Ridge fire briefing (8/17/17), it stated, "Crews began strategic firing operations near Morrell Mountain.  Conditions were favorable for both aerial and ground based firing operations."
Obviously both cannot be correct.

Southeast leading edge of Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana as seen from the Double Arrow Ranch on August 14, 2017. This is now on the northwest quadrant of Morrell Mountain. The Morrell Lookout can be seen as a dot at the top on the right. The Type II incident management team has stated at the public meeting on 8/14/17 that they intend to let this fire burn until it comes down to their fire lines. Click to enlarge. Southeast leading edge of Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana on August 14, 2017 (zoomed-in). This is now on the northwest quadrant of Morrell Mountain. Click to enlarge.

Southeast leading edge of Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana as seen from the Double Arrow Ranch on August 14, 2017.  This is now on the northwest quadrant of Morrell Mountain. The Morrell Lookout can be seen as a dot at the top on the right. The Type II incident management team has stated at the public meeting on 8/14/17 that they intend to let this fire burn until it comes down to their fire lines.  Click to enlarge.

Southeast leading edge of Rice Ridge fire in Seeley Lake, Montana on August 14, 2017 (zoomed-in).  This is now on the northwest quadrant of Morrell Mountain. Click to enlarge.

Typical 3000 gallon 'Pumpkin' seen on the Double Arrow Ranch on 8/12/17. There are storage reservoirs in various sizes for the fire engines to refill their tanks when fighting wildfires. Seeley Lake, Montana. View from Wolverine Drive in Seeley Lake, Montana on 8/12/17 overlooking the obscured smoky valley below. An eerie calm hung in the air because of the nearby Rice Ridge fire less then 2 miles away.

Typical 3000 gallon 'Pumpkin' seen on the Double Arrow Ranch on 8/12/17.  There are storage reservoirs in various sizes for the fire engines to refill their tanks when fighting wildfires. Seeley Lake, Montana.

View from Wolverine Drive in Seeley Lake, Montana on 8/12/17 overlooking the obscured smoky valley below.  An eerie calm hung in the air because of the nearby Rice Ridge fire less then 2 miles away.
Graded access road, FR 4381, to the new bridge up ahead which crosses Morrell creek on the way to Morrell Falls trailhead and Pyramid Pass trailhead as it appeared 5/11/17. The bridge and forest have sustained heavy damage in the Rice Ridge fire. The bridge never opened and will already require rebuilding. No public pictures are available of this area since the fire is still active as of 8/6/17. Looking east across the new wooden bridge crossing Morrell Creek on FR 4381 on the way to Morrell Falls trailhead and Pyramid Pass trailhead as it appeared 5/11/17. The bridge and forest have sustained heavy damage in the Rice Ridge fire. The bridge never opened and will already require rebuilding. No public pictures are available of this area since the fire is still active as of 8/6/17. Looking south (downstream) from the new bridge crossing Morrell Creek as it appeared on May 11, 2017. The bridge and forest have sustained heavy damage in the Rice Ridge fire. The bridge never opened and will already require rebuilding. No public pictures are available of this area since the fire is still active as of 8/6/17.

Graded access road, FR 4381, to the new bridge up ahead which crosses Morrell creek on the way to Morrell Falls trailhead and Pyramid Pass trailhead as it appeared 5/11/17.  The bridge and forest have sustained heavy damage in the Rice Ridge fire.  The bridge never opened and will already require rebuilding.

Looking east across the new wooden bridge crossing Morrell Creek on FR 4381 on the way to Morrell Falls trailhead and Pyramid Pass trailhead as it appeared 5/11/17.  The bridge and forest have sustained heavy damage in the Rice Ridge fire.  The bridge never opened and will already require rebuilding.

Looking south (downstream) from the new bridge crossing Morrell Creek as it appeared on May 11, 2017.  The bridge and forest have sustained heavy damage in the Rice Ridge fire.  The bridge never opened and will already require rebuilding.