Firefighters douse blaze near Grandview Park
Firefighters from the West Valley Volunteer Fire and Rescue battle a grass and timber fire near Grandview Park Monday night. Fire officials said the blaze was human-caused but no exact determination was made. (Photo by Philip Granrud)
Firefighters from West Valley Volunteer Fire and Rescue extinguished a blaze near Grandview Park near Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell Monday night.
According to Assistant Fire Chief Shawn Bohannon, the fire was human-caused, but a specific cause wasn’t determined.
Bohannon said the fire was about one-quarter acre in size and burned grass and some trees. He said the fire didn’t threaten any buildings or homes.
“It was down on the riverbank (Stillwater River) and burned some grass and the bases of some Ponderosa pines, but it never endangered any homes,” Bohannon said.
The call came in at about 8:40 p.m. and the dozen firefighters who worked the blaze were cleared at 10 p.m.
“We want to remind people to be careful during this time of year and burn in the morning, rather than the afternoon when the wind picks up,” Bohannon said. “It’s also good to have a garden hose handy while you’re burning.”
The spring open burning season, when a permit isn’t needed, closes April 30.
Flathead Valley resident and photographer Philip Granrud was driving home when he saw the fire and stopped to take some photos. He emailed one to the Inter Lake and shared his observations.
“It was maybe 10 feet tall in some places, but the firefighters really knocked it down very quickly!” Granrud said. “I lived right next to it actually for years, and really enjoyed that little area, so I was pretty horrified when I saw all the flames, and was thankful they put it out amazingly quickly.”
Multiple fire agencies responded to a wildfire near Blacktail Mountain Ski Area above Lakeside on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the 8-acre wildland fire started at about 12:30 p.m. Local volunteer fire departments along with DNRC and Forest Service crews were on scene conducting suppression efforts late Tuesday afternoon. They hoped to have the blaze fully contained by the evening.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. There were no road closures or evacuations enacted.
People were asked to stay clear of the fire area and personnel. Smoke was expected to be seen in the area for a couple days until mop-up is complete.