8/14/15 - Fire on Richmond Peak - Tour Divide Route

[Iowagriz]

Local news is reporting a large fire on Richmond Peak that cuts off the route from Clearwater Lake to Seeley and to Ovando.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=987576524626073&id=104573672926367

[threepin]

new fires also in trail creek and mt marston area not far from red meadow pass and grave creek rd and a ton other places

[sfuller]

Update this morning from the ACA

ACA Routes @acaroutes

Morrell Complex fire has closed roads between Holland and Seeley Lakes. Cyclists will need to use SR 83 http://1.usa.gov/1Mxdm0M http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4514/

#acaGDMBR 1A

[vikb]

If you go off route due to closure like this are you disqualified from a TD ITT or the group race?

[sfuller]

If you go off route due to closure like this are you disqualified from a TD ITT or the group race?

Others will chime in on this, but I don't believe you would be, especially with proof like this that the route is closed. Style points might dictate that you don't take the pavement, but try and stick to the route as close as possible without endangering yourself. Depending on the roads that are difficult but still close to the route. It would depend on the specific closures.

[threepin]

anyone heading into montana on the divide route should follow the following fires on or near the route- check out inciweb

North kootenai complex-near grave creek/whitefish divide- probably mostly just smoke but growing, high winds expected.

sucker creek near lincoln- smoke producer

squeezer fire near condon- new fire on ridge above route, probably no direct effect but smoke producer nearby

Bear Lake fire- west of pioneer scenic byway, has already closed all areas off byway north of crystal park, byway still open for now

Morrell complex- fire in title of thread- still producing smoke unsure of closures

besides these nearby fires, for most of the past couple of weeks air quality has ranged from unhealthy to hazardous in the region

there should be some air improvement going forward but likely there will continue to be significant impacts, the air quality has also been poor north of the border

[threepin]

looks like trail creek rd may have just closed (whitefish divide)
the road is part of the closure boundary but the order reads as if its included
fire has spread to NE and flag conditions today