Article Summary –
The article discusses ongoing wildfire incidents in Montana, focusing on the Grouse and Miller Peak fires, with the former covering 800 acres in Beaverhead County and the latter costing $15 million near Missoula. Multiple smaller fires are also mentioned, including the Nelson Draw Fire and the Garvin Basin fire, with the latter expected to be contained by August 5. The weekend forecast predicts incoming moisture but also warns of fire risks from potential dry thunderstorms and high temperatures across western Montana.
Despite dry conditions across Montana, the Grouse and Miller Peak fires are the only fires over 800 acres that continue growing. Smaller fires are cropping up, and a hot, wet forecast brings both relief and risks for responders.
The Grouse Fire, reported on July 25, has reached 800 acres in Beaverhead County, manned by 225 firefighters.
“That number I do expect to increase,” Public Information Officer Michelle Peterson said, noting arriving engines, helicopters, and Hotshot crews. About 50 structures are at risk.
The Miller Peak Fire burns seven miles southeast of Missoula. The nearly three-week-old fire has hit $15 million in costs, according to InciWeb.
Several smaller fires, including the 757-acre Nelson Draw Fire near Birney, are active. The Garvin Basin fire, reported Thursday in the Crow Reservation’s southwest corner, grew over 400 acres in a day but is expected to be contained by Aug. 5, per InciWeb.
The weekend forecast brings moisture and fire risks like lightning and high temperatures.
“Western Montana and areas along the [continental] divide will see dry thunderstorms that could start new fires,” said Alex Lukinbeal, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Missoula. Though no major air quality concerns exist, Lukinbeal warned of high statewide temperatures.
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