A firefighting force of 177 people has been working on the West Mullan Fire west of Superior.

Fire crews have been using burnouts to keep the fire away from threatened homes. 

Since it began Sunday evening, the West Mullan Fire has burned more than 700 acres and forced the evacuation of 30 homes in the Flat Creek and Pardee Creek areas. Homes along West Mullan Road also have been evacuated.

In addition to the evacuated areas, the Clark Fork River between Big Eddy and Dry Creek has been closed to recreational use. The river is being used by helicopters dipping water for firefighting efforts.

The fire burned actively Monday night with burning material rolling downhill toward a residential area, according to a Tuesday morning update from Tom Heintz’s Incident Management Team.

Night-shift fire crews used burnout operations to reduce the amount of fuel above homes on the south side of the fire.

On Tuesday, fire managers were watching for wind shifts from an incoming weather system that could affect the fire.

About 120 residents of Superior gathered outside the Mineral County Courthouse Monday night to hear county and Forest Service officials brief them about the fire burning just outside town. 

Superior Ranger District Fire Management Officer Jim Ward explained the mandatory evacuations are “100 percent for your safety” due to weather conditions such as 15 mph winds and 9 percent relative humidity, causing the fire to aggressively expand Monday.

“It’s pretty extreme for this time of year,” Ward said. “We are seeing fire behavior we normally wouldn’t see in July and the weather service is talking about an anomaly that is supposed to be occurring late Tuesday night and Wednesday.”

The anomaly involves a low-pressure system setting up in the Arizona/Texas area and another low-pressure system setting up off the coast of Washington. This system could cause severe thunderstorms, erratic winds and monsoon-like conditions — plus a wind shift with winds coming from the east rather than the west.

“It’s only a 50 percent chance” of precipitation, Ward said. “So if we are the 50 percent that doesn’t get it we are going to get erratic winds and unpredictable fire spreads. We aren’t trying to be too alarmist with these evacuations. We are really trying to do it so you guys are aware and we can get you out in a timely manner and still be effective with the fire.”

Evacuees are being asked to initially report to Superior Elementary School, where the American Red Cross has set up an evacuation center.

“We would like folks to report there first so we know who has been evacuated,” Sheriff Ernie Ornelas said. “If you plan on going someplace else we will be able to at least have contact information on who has come out and how we can reach them. Even if you are not planning on staying in the area we would still like you to check in.”

Evacuees with pets can take them to the Superior Fairgrounds.

The fire began Sunday evening at approximately 5 p.m. and had reached 20 to 25 acres by the time Forest Service firefighters arrived on scene. A combination of dry weather and winds pushed the fire up the ridge above the point where West Mullan Road turns from pavement to dirt.

“Within an hour it had more than tripled in size,” initial Incident Commander Shawn Borgen said. “Essentially by 6:30 p.m. we were pushing 300 acres.”

The fire size doubled on Monday.

 Superior Volunteer Fire Chief John Woodland said at Monday’s meeting that the volunteers working the wildfire had been called back to get rest and be prepared in case another fire incident occurs in town.

“We still have a community and there is still the potential for somebody to overcook their roast tomorrow afternoon and we need to be in a position where we can respond to that,” Woodland said. “They will be ready and available to do the best job possible to protect your structures.”