Lake County Fires
Two Fires Burning in Lake County
POLSON – Lake County sheriff's officials say two wildfires are burning in western Montana.
Both are burning near Highway 28 north of mile marker 38. One fire is estimated at around 250 to 400 acres, while the other is about 25 acres.
Cascade Fire
Wildfire Moves Closer to Red Lodge Ski Resort
BILLINGS – A wildfire pushed closer to a ski hill outside the resort town of Red Lodge Wednesday, as 30 mile-per-hour winds fanned the flames and authorities asked resort employees to evacuate.
By early evening, the fire had grown to 7,539 acres, or almost 12 square miles.
An evacuation order remained in force for 90 homes below the base of the ski mountain. Residents of an additional 200 homes have been told to be prepared to leave.
Cascade Fire
Governor Tours 5,800-Acre Fire Near Red Lodge
RED LODGE - Airplanes and helicopters dumped fire retardant and water on a fast-growing canyon fire outside this ski town Monday, trying to corral a blaze that was eating through blown-down timber and heavy lodgepole stands.
Gov. Brian Schweitzer took a small group of reporters aboard his airplane to get a closer look at the 5,800-acre fire.
Cascade Fire
Air Tankers Drop Retardant to Protect Red Lodge Ski Resort
RED LODGE – Heavy airtankers dropped fire retardant along a ridge near the Red Lodge Mountain Ski Resort on Sunday to protect the resort from an advancing wildfire.
Resort employees stood by, ready to operate the resort's snowmaking equipment to send cascades of water against the fast-moving Cascade fire, said Forest Service fire information officer Jeff Gildehaus.
Fire burns five structures, still out of control
Wildfire Grows West of Red Lodge
RED LODGE - A fire 12 miles west of Red Lodge in the Custer National Forest has grown to more than 1,500 acres, prompted evacuation of more than 90 homes and burned five structures in the historic Camp Senia area.
Fire officials said Sunday the fire has been difficult to fight because of the rugged topography, the amount of fuel on the ground from a tree blowdown in November, the old age of the forest and the recent drought.
The Cascade fire was reported at 2:15 p.m. Saturday in the West Fork of Rock Creek.
People were evacuated from the Rock Creek and Cascade campgrounds, the Red Lodge Mountain Ski Resort, a Girl Scout camp and more than 90 area homes. A helicopter was used Saturday to spot hikers and backpackers in the area and evacuate them.
Around 1,000 acres burned
Fire West of Red Lodge Triggers Evacuations
RED LODGE - Risk from a wildfire in the Custer National Forest about 12 miles west of Red Lodge has led to evacuation of some homes and a Girl Scout camp.
An employee at the Carbon County Sheriff's Department says she has no reports that any structures have burned. The employee, declining to give her name, says she doesn't know how many homes were vacated.
The Forest Service estimated the fire had burned 1,000 acres by Saturday night. Earlier, a forest official said the fire was spreading fast.
Campground and Trails Remain Closed
Rain Helps Firefighters Close in on Lindbergh Lake Fire
CONDON - Three days after a wildland fire broke out at Lindbergh Lake firefighters have got it 60-percent contained.
The Lindbergh Lake Fire was reported at one in the afternoon on the 21st, the cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Lindbergh Lake Campground and all trails to Crystal Lake remain closed as firefighters hand dig the fire line on the steep slopes.
Snowpack is strong, but precipitation lags
As Dry Weather Persists, Chance for Major Fire Grows
Convective rains have flora on the valley floor flourishing, but recent dry weather could prove explosive as the Montana fire season is late, but imminent.
“It’s easy to get lulled into a false sense of security,” Department of Natural Resources and Conservation fire plan manager Dan Cassidy said. “These fine fuels – lush grass and brush – could dry out quickly. We’re right on the cusp.”
