Tag Archives: Bob Marshall Wilderness

New wildfires keep fire crews busy

From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . .

Fire crews scrambled Monday to two new fires: one north of Whitefish and one southwest of Tally Lake.

One new wildfire is in the Stillwater State Forest at the junction of Fitzsimmons Creek and the Stillwater River…

Elsewhere, about six initial attack firefighters responded to a fire that was less than two acres southwest of Tally Lake, but it was enough of a handful for a helicopter and a 20-person crew to be called in to help…

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Winds could increase area fire activity

From the Daily Inter Lake . . .

Fire activity was relatively quiet Saturday, with fires in Northwest Montana gaining little ground.

The South Fork Lost Creek Fire, which is burning southeast of Swan Lake, grew just 60 acres from when it was sized Friday afternoon. That is due in part to a burnout operation firefighters conducted Friday, which was used to create a break in front of an active part of the fire.

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Fires churning away

Another report — with photos — from the Daily Inter Lake on the area’s fires . . .

Wildfires in the Bob Marshall Wilderness have spread rapidly over the last couple of days, and an aerial burnout operation is planned today on a fire burning just outside the wilderness southeast of Swan Lake.

In just one day after it was detected, the Big Salmon Lake Fire went on a wind- and fuel-driven rampage Wednesday, growing to 2,000 acres. The fire started near the north shore of Big Salmon Lake, burning upslope to the northeast in heavy timber.

It has a high potential for growth toward the South Fork Flathead River, prompting multiple trail closures and efforts to protect the Salmon Forks Cabin, the Salmon Forks suspension bridge and the Little Salmon Bridge.

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“If there’s a message, it’s dry enough for things to burn.”

Today’s Daily Inter Lake has a pretty good report on the wildfire action in the Flathead Valley . . .

Flathead Valley residents got to take in a familiar summer spectacle Wednesday: Smoke columns towering over the Swan Mountain Range.

The smoke was pouring from two fires burning in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

It was the first time big smoke columns have been visible from the valley floor since summer 2007…

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