Fire breaks out near Columbia Falls

The Daily Inter Lake

A grass fire broke out five miles north of Columbia Falls along the North Fork Road on Wednesday evening.

It was reported about 5 p.m.

By 6 p.m., crews from the Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service, and Flathead Valley fire departments were fighting the blaze.

The initial attack included engines, water tenders and two helicopters.

Two other new fires were reported Wednesday.

A fire near Calvick Creek, about three miles northeast of the Schafer guard station in the Spotted Bear Ranger District, grew to more than 100 acres. That fire was met with an aerial attack to knock it down.

The second was a report of smoke in the Mission Mountain Wilderness west of Craft Creek in the Swan Lake Ranger District. Crews had not yet arrived to that start late Wednesday.