Wednesday Feb. 8, 2012
 

HAMILTON – A wildfire burning in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, seven miles northwest of Stevensville, has expanded to 400 acres.

Forest Service spokeswoman Nan Christianson says the west-northwest corner of the Kootenai Creek fire has reached the ridge between Kootenai Creek and Bass Creek. It was burning actively Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Independent Record newspaper reported that a wildfire near Dearborn north of Helena consumed between 65 and 80 acres and forced the temporary evacuation of some homes.

 
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HELENA – Fire crews battled 1,000-acre wildfires Friday on opposite ends of the state but no structures were threatened.

In eastern Montana, firefighters from Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota are fighting the Line Creek fire in a remote area on the Montana-Wyoming border about 40 miles southwest of Broadus.

 
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BILLINGS – Crews fighting the Dunn Mountain fire north of Billings have been successful in protecting houses on the active northwestern corner of the fire.

Fire information officer Betsy Ballard says the fire has burned just over 85,000 acres and was 55 percent contained early Sunday. She says 40 residences and five outbuildings are considered threatened by the 126-square-mile fire.

 
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ROUNDUP – Crews battled throughout the night into Sunday, struggling to contain a sprawling central Montana wildfire that threatens ranch homes, small subdivisions and vacation cabins in the Bull Mountains north of Billings.

Fire information officer Jennifer Costich (KAH'-stitch) says the 126-square-mile Dunn fire was active all night long, and crews were out all night.

 
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Smoke blanketing the Flathead Valley Tuesday morning was the result of five “wildland fire-use” fires burning in the area that were sparked by lightning about 10 days ago.

Wildland fire-use fires are allowed to burn so than can play their “natural role in the ecosystem,” according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The largest of the area fires is 200 acres, and the smallest is less than one acre. Three of them are burning in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The following are details of those five fires:

 
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KALISPELL – Overcast skies and milder temperatures have slowed a wildfire west of Elmo, but firefighters are preparing for hotter, windier weather in days to come.

The Deep Draw fire on Thursday was estimated at 1,726 acres and more than 400 firefighters were on hand. It's now 65 percent contained and firefighters hope to have it fully contained by Saturday, but gusty winds and temperatures approaching 90 degrees could delay that benchmark.

 
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PABLO – A wildfire west of Elmo has grown to 1,050 acres and more than 200 firefighters were on the scene Tuesday.

The Deep Draw fire grew by 450 acres since Monday in steep, rocky and timbered terrain near Montana 28 about eight miles west of Flathead Lake. It was triggered by lightning Friday.

 
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PABLO – Firefighters continued to battle a 600-acre wildfire Monday about three miles west of Elmo.

Wind gusts up to 40 mph caused flames to jump across the fire line Sunday, leaving the main blaze and a nearby 30-acre fire uncontained. Because the two fires are so close to one another, they are being fought as one blaze called the Deep Draw fire.

 
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