By Ashley South
Photo above and right of John and June with their winning car for the
people’s choice award. Photo courtesy by Dennis Stephenson.
Photos left of car show line up, courtesy of the Montana Car Shows and Cruisers.
Photo above of Heather Keiper and her son dressed up in their Pin-Up Girl and Rock-a-Billy Dude out fits. Photo courtesy
Igniters Car Club.
Ignite the Nites Car Show was held August 15th through 17th, 2023 in Libby, Montana. This popular annual event draws car enthusiasts from all over the nation to participate in the weekend long car show and events. Ignite the Nites offers various activities and contests for attendees to enjoy, and continues to grow over the years. Thursday was the High Stakes Poker Run with 100% payout. Friday Night was the big cruise from 6:00pm to 9:00pm along Mineral Avenue. Neon Lights & Flame Throwers show was held at 9:00pm in front of First Montana Bank. Saturday the Car Show was held from 9:00am to 3:00pm along Mineral Avenue, with numerous show cars, rat rods, vans, motorcycles, and much more. Various contests, including 50’s Pin-Up Girl, Rock-a-Billy Dude, and Rock-a-Betty Girl costume contests.
The burnout contest was held at the Millpond Motocross Park this year. A few hundred participants filled the stands to cheer and watch the burnout show. The burnout contest was a thrilling and crowd-pleasing event. Drivers demonstrated their vehicle’s power, performance, and tire-smoking capabilities by performing controlled burnouts. Many participants modified their vehicles, including installing specialized tires, adjusting suspension, and making engine modifications to enhance performance.
The Ignite the Nites car show’s heritage has made Libby a stopping point in August to show off a variety of custom vehicles. “We encourage all participants to cooperate and follow the rules to maintain a positive atmosphere. The event was a great turn out this year.” Said Igniters Car Club. There was over 400 entries for the annual car show competition. Ignite the Nites Car Show was a well-organized and exciting event that brings together car lovers to celebrate their shared passion for automobiles in the Libby area.
East Fork Fire Travels Quickly Causing Pre-Evacuation Orders Near Olny
Submitted by Paul Roose, Incident Commander United States Forest Service
On August 20, 2023 the East Fork Fire Incident was updated. The fire is located 12 miles south of Trego, MT the start date was July 30, 2023 the cause was lightning, the size is 4,614 acres with a containment of 5%. Smoke from Canadian fires resulted in lower temperatures and higher relative humidity on Saturday, limiting fire spread to approximately ¼ mile to the east.
While night crews removed logs from burned areas, day crews focused on strengthening fire lines and constructing new lines where appropriate. Heavy equipment cleared roads to prevent further fire spread in the Martin Creek area. Ground crews evaluated the safest means of constructing a line in the most inaccessible areas of the fire.
The Trego School and community hosted a public meeting for the Critical Incident Management Team to share current conditions and strategies regarding the suppression of the East Fork Fire. There were approximately 100 citizens in attendance. The team sincerely appreciates the kindness and hospitality of this community. In addition, we were grateful for this opportunity to address their questions and concerns.
Fire crews will take advantage of the high humidity and cloud/smoke cover to more aggressively construct fire lines. Fire Behavior Analyst, Eric Trimble forecasts that while the fire may grow a bit today, spread will be minimal.
Evacuations: East Fork Fire Lifts Mandatory Evacuation. The Evacuation Order issued on August 18, 2023, for all properties North of mile marker 146 on Highway 93 to mile marker 157.9 — Lincoln/Flathead County line, and the Residents of Good Creek Road, and those who access Good Creek west to the Lincoln County line have been downgraded to a PRE-EVACUATION WARNING and will be effective at 02:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 20, 2023. All PRE-EVACUATION warnings issued on Thursday, August 17, 2023, are still in effect. Residents may return to their homes under a Pre-Evacuation Warning but may need to leave again on short notice if required. An Evacuation Order may need to be reissued; however, if that is deemed necessary, the Evacuation Order process will re-commence. For the most current information regarding evacuation status please visit https://flathead.mt.gov/…/east-fork-fire-information or call the Flathead County Office of Emergency Services Public Information Line at 406-758-2111.
Gravel Pit Fire Containment Update
Submitted by Ken Parks, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Northwest Land Office
On August 19, 2023 the Gravel Pit Fire Incident was updated. The fire is located 25 miles southeast of Libby, near Silver Butte. The start date was August 1, 2023. It was human caused, the size is 304 acres, and the containment is 95%. Total personnel is 68 Engines, 5 tenders, and 2 hand crews.
The Western Montana All-Hazards Incident Management Team will transfer command of the Gravel Pit Fire to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Libby Unit at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, August 20, 2023.
This will be the final daily fact sheet for the Gravel Pit Fire. Crews continued with mop-up activities, locating and extinguishing remaining hot spots. To the east, fire crews also continued to locate hot spots, working in a grid pattern through green islands of unburned material within the fire perimeter. Crews also completed backhauling hose, pumps, and portable water tanks. Flare-ups remain a concern.
Firefighting crews will continue with mop-up activities, working in a grid pattern. Mop-up activities involve extinguishing any remaining embers, hot spots, or smoldering areas within the fire perimeter to prevent them from reigniting and causing another flare-up. Engines and crews will be available for initial attack and will respond quickly to prevent any new fires from growing out of control. Saturday will see cooler temperatures, but still very dry, with RHs expected in the low teens.
A wind shift will occur Friday night to more northerly, which will remain in place over the fire through Sunday morning. Fire behavior is low, with some remaining smoldering areas. There are no evacuation warnings, evacuations, or closures currently in effect for the Gravel Pit Fire.
All Lincoln County residents are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts by downloading the Code Red application and entering contact information. Code Red is the primary notification system to alert residents of evacuations.