Fire near Condon is still growing

Driven by low humidity and winds from the northwest, the Condon Mountain Fire continued to expand Thursday and Friday.

On Thursday morning, the fire covered 2,396 acres; by Friday morning it had crossed Smith Creek on its southeast flank, growing to 3,333 acres by Friday morning.

“It’s putting up a smoke column again today,” fire information officer Katie Knotek said Friday afternoon.

Fire lines have held on the western perimeter, preventing it from burning downslope into the Swan Valley, where the nearest homes are about 1 1/2 miles away.

No structures are considered imminently threatened, but an evacuation plan was to be discussed at a community meeting in Condon Friday night, Knotek said.

The lightning-caused fire was detected on July 28 in steep terrain high on the Swan Range. It became mostly dormant at the end of August, and firefighting resources were gradually withdrawn, leaving only 10 people on the fire by Aug. 30.

Now there are nearly 180 people back on the fire, along with eight pieces of heavy equipment, water tenders and four helicopters. Super Scooper air tankers have been periodically deployed on the fire.

Smoke from the fire was affecting air quality in the Seeley Lake area, according to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s wildfire smoke update. High school sports Friday in Stevensville and Hamilton were postponed.