Article Summary –
Over the past week, Montana’s rainy weather has helped restrain the growth of existing wildfires, with no significant advancements reported in any of the major fires such as the Grouse Fire, Black Canyon Fire, Circle Bar Fire, and Black Mountain Fire. Despite forecasts for lightning that could potentially ignite new fires, the National Weather Service predicts continued wildfire-resistant conditions with high humidity and slow winds persisting through the weekend, although temperatures are expected to increase and smoke from neighboring states might cause hazy skies. As the Grouse Fire management team returns command to local responders, the overall fire containment efforts across the state remain active with personnel diligently working to manage the various blazes.
This story is excerpted from the MT Lowdown, a weekly newsletter digest containing original reporting and analysis published every Friday
Last week’s rainy weather in Montana stalled new fires and the rapid growth of existing ones. Despite a large number of personnel working to contain the blazes, no fires expanded substantially.
The Grouse Fire, Montana’s largest active fire, covers just over 4,000 acres in Beaverhead County. Located in steep terrain among natural fire breaks, it has grown by only 16 acres since Aug. 9. The team managing it is demobilizing and returning command to local responders.
The Black Canyon Fire comprises three fires totaling 233 acres along the edge of Helena National Forest, between Helena and Great Falls. Though only 20% contained since Aug. 11, firefighters report it is unlikely to grow rapidly.
The Circle Bar Fire, one of the newest in the state, was first reported Wednesday in southeastern Montana. It spans 796 acres of forests and grasslands and is 40% contained.
The Black Mountain Fire, a 182-acre fire on the western edge of Lewis and Clark County, is not expected to grow significantly, according to Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
Following predicted storms in western Montana on Friday, the weather forecast suggests wildfire-resistant conditions in the coming days.
While lightning anticipated on Friday and Saturday could start new fires, high humidity and slow winds are expected to persist through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures are forecasted to rise, and smoke from wildfires in Washington, Oregon, and northern California may cause some haze in Montana skies over the weekend.
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