Garceau crews make progress

The Daily Inter Lake

Firefighters continued to make progress Thursday on the two largest fires in Western Montana, the Garceau Fire near Polson and the Skyland Fire near Marias Pass.

The Garceau Fire, about 11 miles southwest of Polson, grew to 2,800 acres overnight after it was detected Tuesday. The fire was stopped by dozer lines as it burned downslope in grasslands, but it continued to burn uphill into heavy timber mostly on Confederated Salish-Kootenai tribal lands.

Firefighting efforts have focused on keeping the fire from spreading back into grasslands, and on cutting a dozer line through timber and steep slopes on the fire's northern flank.

More than 200 people were working on the fire, along with one helicopter, 14 engines, 13 dozers and four watertenders. A Type Two incident management team took over firefighting operations Thursday.

No homes are immediately threatened by the fire.

On the Skyland Fire, just west of Marias Pass and about 11 miles east of Essex, efforts have been concentrated on keeping the fire west of Skyland Road. With no patrol flight to size up the lightning-caused fire Wednesday night, it is still estimated at 420 acres.

A Type Two incident management team from Washington arrived Thursday and was scheduled to assume responsibilities for that fire as of this morning.