HOPE — For the second straight day, cooler temperatures helped firefighters keep a hand on the Lightning Creek Fire, a 2,427-acre fire burning nine miles north of Clark Fork.

Crews will continue previous efforts of scouting and planning control options, and identifying and protecting critical values at risk, Northern Rockies incident management team officials said in a press release Friday.

"Yesterday, local government officials and fire officials met to identify and prioritize critical values in the fire area," Northern Rockies IMT 9 officials said. "Crews continue to improve the Lightning Creek Road as a control line, and to create a shaded fuel break along the road."

As part of that, crews are removing fuels to reduce fireline intensity and fire spread and increase the defensibility and safety of the road as firefighters work to keep the fire east of the road, officials said.

Also key to firefighting efforts are snagging operations — removing dead and dying trees that can burn more easily — continue on Lightning Creek Road in order to maintain critical access to the fire. 

Community and firefighter safety remains the number one priority, officials said.

There are 94 personnel assigned to the fire, which is at 0% containment. Also assigned to the fire are three engines, a water tender, two excavators, a feller buncher, three falling units, a hand crew and a Hotshot crew. Hotshot crews are specialized teams of highly trained wildland firefighters experienced in battling wildfires.

The Northern Rockies team, led by Shane Martin, took command of firefighting efforts Friday.

Lightning Creek Road (NFSR 419) is closed from the junction of Trestle Creek Road (NFSR 275) south to the Regal Creek crossing. The closure is necessary to protect public safety and welfare and provide safe firefighting efforts and access, Maddox said.

A temporary flight restriction is in place, restricting all drones and aircraft from operating in the fire area without permission. Unauthorized aircraft pose a serious hazard to aviation personnel, forcing the grounding of aircraft and potentially delaying fire suppression efforts.

Community members will have a chance to ask questions about the Lightning Creek Fire at a community meeting hosted by the U.S. Forest Service Thursday at 7 p.m. at Clark Fork High School.

Local fire management and incident management teams will be on hand to provide information about the fire and address specific concerns from the community.

Information: bit.ly/4l5NhIB