Fire behavior could moderate with cool, wet week ahead

Northwest Montana’s wildfire activity is expected to moderate over the next seven days with wetting rain and below normal temperatures increasingly likely beginning Friday evening.

Predictive Services meteorologist Daniel Borsum said that the next week will bring rain, high humidity and cooler temperatures to most of the Northern Rockies.

“The seven-day expected precipitation does show a large portion of the [region] receiving beneficial rain throughout the next week,” Borsum said in his weather briefing Thursday.

The best chance for precipitation in Northwest Montana begins Friday into Saturday, then again early next week.

“The areas where there’s the fires, if you don’t get the moisture through the weekend you still have a really good chance of seeing it Monday and Tuesday,” he said.

Flathead Valley residents can expect high temperatures in the 70s or low 80s through at least Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Missoula.

THE RIDGE Fire, about 6 miles east of Hungry Horse on the east side of the Hungry Horse Reservoir, was sized at 630 acres on Thursday.

Firefighters were working to keep the blaze away from Martin City. Flames from the fire could be seen from Martin City as it burned in the Emery Creek drainage.

The Tin Soldier Complex on the Spotted Bear District of the Flathead Forest was sized at 2,061 acres. The complex consists of four fires, about 17 miles west of Swan Lake.

Fire personnel were expected to begin laying hose lines around the Spotted Bear Ranch, Diamond R Ranch and the Spotted Bear Ranger Station compound.

An evacuation remained in place for the Heinrude community off of the West Side Reservoir Road #895. The road is closed to public travel at the 42-mile mark and the East Side South Fork Road #38 is closed at the 37.5-mile mark.

The closure means there is no access to the Spotted Bear or Meadow Creek Gorge areas and trailheads of the Bob Marshall Wilderness from the reservoir. A frontcountry closure for the area was put in place, as well.

The 450-acre East Fork Fire south of Trego was very active on Wednesday, and made a run toward Forest Service Road 315. One spot crossed road 315, but was doused by water drops.

THE FOOTPRINT of the Niarada Fire west of Elmo increased to more than 13,000 acres Thursday. The south flank was creeping east toward Elmo, while the north edge was moving around the scar from the 2022 Elmo fire.

A Flathead Interagency Hotshot Crew completed a burn operation along Cromwell Creek Road, helping secure the fire perimeter nearest to Lake Mary Ronan.

A mandatory evacuation remains in place from the top of the pass on Brown’s Meadow Road south to Montana 28 at Niarada. The mandatory evacuation also includes Kofford Ridge Road.

The nearby Mill Pocket Fire about 3 miles west of Montana 28 was sized at about 2,000 acres. Fire managers said crews made “great headway” in building initial firelines.

East of Arlee, the Big Knife Fire was sized at 2,710 acres on Thursday, with smoke plumes visible from Missoula and across the Jocko Valley.

Aircraft are assisting ground crews, but poor visibility limited operations Wednesday.

A community meeting to discuss the trio of fires is planned for Friday, Aug. 4 at 6 p.m.

Also in the Mission Valley, the Middle Ridge Fire west of Ronan was estimated at 13,000 acres, with 25% containment. The Communication Butte Fire north of Dixon was estimated 1,423 acres, with 35% containment.

The Holmes Creek Fire on the Mission Mountains east of Polson was estimated at 36 acres with no containment.