Lawnmower sparks 720-acre fire near Frenchtown

FRENCHTOWN — A wildfire apparently started by a lawnmower has burned more than 700 acres just northeast of Frenchtown and led to the evacuation of hundreds of residences.

The Mill Creek Fire was reported just after 2 p.m. Thursday by a man who said his lawnmower chipped a rock, sending a spark into the dry grass. The fire raced uphill, away from the town.

The Missoula County Sheriff’s Office issued voluntary, but strongly recommended evacuation notices to homeowners north of Interstate 90 between Fred Lane and Mill Creek.

Evacuations on Mill Creek, Fred Land, Bunchgrass, and Grooms Road are voluntary and residents who wish to return home are being allowed to do so.

On Friday, firefighters will provide structure protection and work on containment lines around the fire. The strategy is to keep the 720 acre fire from growing, according to a morning fire update.

In other Montana fire news Friday:

Southwest of Philipsburg, the 100-acre Moose Meadow Fire was reported Thursday afternoon and had burned about 100 acres. The Granite County sheriff’s office is evacuating residences in the Moose Lake and Copper Creek areas. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The West Mullan Fire near Superior had covered 6,300 acres but was 74 percent contained.

The Red Shale Fire deep in the Bob Marshall Wilderness had grown to 3,850 acres. Several trails in the area have been closed.