Residents can breathe a small sigh of relief as the Sunrise Fire moves to more than 60 percent contained after burning over 25,500 acres since July 16.

Containment is estimated for the end of September for the fire that is burning 11 miles east of Superior. Burned areas include Quartz, Sunrise and Trout Creeks, with the southwest and west portions currently the most active.

According to an Aug. 25 incident report, ground fires were anticipated in Forty Six Creek and Sunrise Creek along with fire creeping uphill. As temperatures were forecasted to increase early in the week the fire was expected to spread west with increased activity. Roads are currently closed from Cedar Creek south to Forest Service Road 341.

Greg Burch, operations section chief with the Great Basin National Incident Management Team 1, reported on Aug. 24 that crews were focusing on the Quartz Creek drainage where they were trying to stay ahead of the blaze as the fire pushed south.

From Trout Creek to Sunrise Mountain crews put in a barrier fence to assist firefighters in keeping rolling material from crossing the fire line and into unburned areas.

In the Trout Creek area a blasting team worked to remove 19 hazard cedar trees last week. The trees posed a danger to both firefighters on the line and those driving down the road. “Blasting” is a method to remove fire-weakened trees, another method is sawing them down.

Also, along the Interstate-90 corridor crews have been heavy into suppression repair with areas continuing to be completed.

The Burdette Fire burning near Tarkio remained at 649 acres as of Aug. 24 and was 90 percent contained. It is being monitored by air.

Closer to Missoula, the Lolo Peak Fire has burned over 34,000 acres with several areas under evacuation warnings including residents in the U.S. 93 and Montana 12 corridor. The Rice Ridge Fire burning near Seeley Lake was at nearly 18,000 acres on Aug. 25 and only 16 percent contained with evacuation warnings in effect.

Another large fire burning in the area is the Sapphire Complex, 25 miles east of Missoula in the Rock Creek drainage. It has burned nearly 39,000 acres and was 49 percent contained on Aug. 25.