Firefighters attack before heat hits area

With the exception of a 600-acre blaze west of Elmo, firefighters have been successful with initial attack on a rash of lightning-caused fires across Northwest Montana over the last few days.

The Deep Draw Fire is burning in steep, rocky and timbered terrain near Montana 28 about eight miles west of Elmo and Flathead Lake. It was triggered by lightning Friday.

More than 50 firefighters were working on it Monday along with retardant and water drops. Five more 20-person crews were expected to arrive at the end of the day.

"The air attack on this fire has been pretty big," said Richard Janssen, spokesman for the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes. "We're trying to slow it down and get it contained."

Janssen said there have been 18 lightning fires detected on the Flathead Reservation since Saturday morning, including two that were picked up in the Garceau Creek area on Monday.

"We're really concerned about the hotter weather that's supposed to be coming mid-week," Janssen said, referring to a weather forecast that includes more potential lighting for the region on Wednesday.

"We anticipate more fires from holdover lightning strikes in the next few days," said Denise Germann, information officer on the Flathead National Forest.

Germann said the Flathead Interagency Dispatch sent firefighters to two fires on the Swan Lake Ranger District and five fires on the Hungry Horse/Glacier View Ranger Districts of the Flathead National Forest. All the fires were under control at a fraction of an acre within 24 hours.

Several fires in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and in Glacier National Park are being managed for wildland fire use.

Those fires include the two-acre Wildrose fire on Wildrose Mountain in the Great Bear Wilderness, about two miles southwest of the Three Forks area; the one-acre Shale Mountain Wildland Fire, located in the Bob Marshall Wilderness about five miles Northeast of Big Prairie, and the one-acre Triangle Fire located in the Great Bear Wilderness, in the upper reaches of Great Bear Creek.

Two fires sparked by lightning were detected in Glacier National Park.

The Rising Sun Fire on the east side of the park was successfully contained at about a tenth of an acre. The one-acre Meteka Fire is located between the Camas Road and the Inside North Fork Road is being managed for wildland fire use.

Local fire departments have also responded to several fire starts, including some human-caused fires, and have successfully contained and controlled these fires. Fire management agencies are continuing detection efforts and the public is encouraged to contact their local fire department or public land management office to report smoke or fire.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com