Smoke plume caused by fire near Choteau

The Daily Inter Lake

A huge smoke plume from a fire on the Lewis and Clark National Forest burgeoned in Thursday's heat and could be seen from Kalispell.

The Fool Creek Wildland Use Fire, located 25 air miles east of Spotted Bear Ranger Station and 20 to 30 miles west of Choteau, was caused by a lightning strike earlier this week but wasn't spotted until Wednesday evening, said Allen Rowley, deputy forest supervisor for the Lewis and Clark National Forest.

"We did a quick first-stage analysis to approve it as a wildland use fire," Rowley said. "We're in the process of doing a long-term management plan. We know it'll be here for quite awhile. These fires can stay active through the summer."

The decision to manage the fire instead of extinguish it was based on a number of factors, including fire danger, firefighter safety and social impacts.

"This is not a fire we can safely put people on," Rowley said.

Located at the head of the north fork of the Sun River, the fire is in an area that doesn't get a lot of summer traffic or fall hunting. Trails in the immediate area will be closed, including trails at Open Creek and over Sun River Pass.

The fire was initially sized up at about 8 acres, but Rowley said he couldn't speculate how large it has grown since the first assessment. Near record-breaking heat this week has fueled the fire's growth.

Forest officials believe the blaze started Sunday or Monday.

"At Bear Top Lookout you can look right at it," Rowley said. "It's interesting it laid dormant for so long."