A change of command took place last night as a new incident management team took operational control of the Clearwater Fire, according to new Incident Commander, Sage Decker, who heads up the Greater Yellowstone Area, Type 3 Team.
Fire growth remains minimal on the Clearwater Fire, with containment increasing to 67% over the weekend. The fire will continue to burn and smolder for some time in heavy fuels and steeper terrain, expect to see more smoke this week with continued hot and dry weather.
“Fire managers will continue work on the Clearwater Fire and take appropriate action based on a number of factors including complexity, safety, fire behavior, and weather,” according to Commander Decker.
As far as the impact the Clearwater Fire has had on campgrounds, trails, and other places, the Elk Fork Campground is closed indefinitely.
The Clearwater Campground is closed until fire conditions allow otherwise. A road and trail closure are in effect at NFS Road #424, Elk Fork Road and NFS Trail # 760, Elk Fork Trail (021404-24-03). An area closure is also in place around the Clearwater Fire (021404-24-05) Copies of those orders can be found under “Alerts and Forest Orders” on the forest webpage or here. For safety reasons, the public is asked to respect closed campgrounds and trails. A temporary flight restriction (TFR) is in effect around the fire.
What is most concerning officials this week is hot and dry conditions are expected into the weekend which will continue to dry out unburned areas making them receptive to fire once again.
