Stage 2 restrictions begin Thursday
Campfires, smoking and off-road driving will be prohibited across Northwest Montana beginning Thursday at midnight when Stage 2 fire restrictions are put in place.
The restrictions will impact the Flathead National Forest, Flathead County, Montana Department of Natural Resources land under the Kalispell, Libby and Plains units, the Kootenai Forest, Lincoln County, Sanders County and Lake County.
Flathead County commissioners were set to discuss the new restrictions at their Tuesday meeting.
Glacier National Park entered Stage 2 restrictions on Tuesday.
Fire danger in all of Western Montana is rated as extreme.
The restrictions were announced Monday after a dry lightning storm ignited multiple fires across the region.
“The public is urged to use caution and be vigilant in preventing human-caused fires, as our resources are stretched very thin right now,” forest spokesperson Janette Turk said Monday.
One of the lightning-caused fires was burning in the North Fork area west of Glacier National Park. The Coal Ridge Fire is on the Glacier View Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest about 5 miles from Polebridge. It was estimated at 300 acres on Monday.
The fire is burning in steep terrain with subalpine forest and brushy avalanche chutes. There were no evacuation warnings in place as of Monday.
The Whale Butte Fire had burned 4 acres on the Glacier View Ranger District.
The Paola Ridge Fire, also ignited by lightning Aug. 11, had charred 250 acres on the Flathead Forest about 2 miles northwest of Essex along U.S. 2., and near the BNSF Railway tracks.
No evacuations were ordered as of Monday.
A Type 3 fire management team was assigned to that blaze. Heavy equipment is working to build a fuel break.
The remote Brownstone Fire in the Spotted Bear Ranger District was at 1,084 acres.
On the Kootenai Forest, the Davis Fire slowed in growth Sunday adding a little over 200 acres. The fire 10 miles from Yaak was estimated at 5,479 acres Monday and moved across the Canadian border. It was 5 percent contained and 229 firefighters were on the scene.
Crews were looking to access the northeastern portion of the new growth. A small crew put protection measures in place for Garver lookout tower and cabin. An area closure around the Davis Fire remained in effect and was expected to expand.
Canadian firefighters were managing the northern part of the fire.
Lightning strikes Aug. 11 started five new fires northeast of the Tenmile Fire. Three of these fires have been named the Sterling Complex and are being managed together with the Tenmile Fire east of Highway 37 and Lake Koocanusa.
Fire crews successfully held the lines on the Tenmile Fire overnight Sunday, which is estimated at 679 acres.
The Swamp Creek Fire was held to 1 acre and will continue to be monitored. The Huckleberry and Cliff Fires grew together over the weekend and continued to back downslope to the north.
Air Tankers with retardant drops worked all day to hold the northeast side of the Pinkham Tower Fire. A lightning strike fire north of the Pinkham Fire was detected and equipment and crews worked to construct a line around the fire and hold it to a small size.