Wire mishap sparks U.S. 2 grass fire

A human-caused grass fire burned about 1 acre of undeveloped land off U.S. 2 West in Columbia Falls Monday evening.

According to Columbia Falls Fire Chief Rick Hagen, the blaze likely ignited when an object sticking up out of a passing vehicle hooked a high-hanging cable wire. As the vehicle moved forward, the cable dislodged from the object in a slingshot motion, hitting the high-voltage power line next to it hard enough to blow a fuse and throw sparks into the dry grass below.

Nearby homeowners were reportedly trying to fight the fire to keep it from spreading to their property when firefighters arrived on scene at around 5 p.m.

Personnel from the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the National Forest and Columbia Falls Police aided the Columbia Falls Fire Department in managing and extinguishing the fire.

It took a total of nearly 20 people, six fire engines and a water tanker about an hour and a half to put out the blaze.

Columbia Falls police officers worked traffic control after the blaze forced the closure of one lane on a portion of U.S. 2.

The highway later reopened both lanes of traffic.

Flathead interagency fire managers increased the fire danger this week to “very high” due to low moisture content of grasses, brush, and timber, along with a long-term forecast of high temperatures and minimal precipitation. Current conditions are weeks ahead of schedule and representative of those typically seen in mid-August, fire managers report.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.