Forest Service contains Carty wildfire near Black

The fire was contained yesterday with no injuries or accidents reported, and no structures damaged or burned. A small number of firefighters will continue to monitor the fire area until it is declared completely out. Mark Twain National Forest also has a team of resource specialists assessing fire damage in the area to determine if rehabilitation is necessary.

The Carty Wildfire burned in an area of large, dense fuel created by the 2009 Derecho windstorm. More than 100 firefighters from Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri Department of Conservation, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Gateway Arch & Jefferson Expansion National Memorial, Shawnee National Forest, Big Muddy National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, City of Ellington and Reynolds County combined forces to construct control lines, stop flames from spreading, and protect private property.

Unusual for a Missouri wildfire, Mark Twain National Forest called in retardant drops from an air tanker and water drops from a heavy helicopter to wet fuels and create fire breaks. The retardant and water were able to cool down the heavy fuels, slow the fire’s spread, and enable firefighters on the ground to complete fire control lines.

“I would like to thank all of the firefighters and support personnel for their hard work,” said Incident Commander Chris Woods. “Cooperation between local, state, and federal agencies and organizations was excellent. I would also like to thank the many local individuals and businesses who fully supported the firefighting efforts. It would have been much more difficult without everyone involved.”

Visit Mark Twain National Forest’s website at http://fsweb.marktwain.r9.fs.fed.us/indexold.shtml

The Mark Twain National Forest is the largest public land manager in Missouri with 1.5 million acres in 29 counties in southern and central Missouri. Mark Twain National Forest is managed to restore Missouri’s natural communities and maintain a healthy, working forest.