Wildfires crop up as conditions dry out

A few small wildfires cropped up in far Northwest Montana over the weekend, continuing an uptick in incidents over the last week as forest fuels begin to dry out.

All of Northwest Montana is experiencing moderate to severe drought conditions to start summer. Forest moisture levels are slightly below average at about 15% as of July 3, according to data from the Northern Rockies Coordination Center.

Daniel Borsum, meteorologist for the Northern Rockies, said conditions are trending toward the fire season starting across Northwest Montana and Northern Idaho.

“It's dry over there, it's drought and it's even drying out more,” Borsum said Monday in his fire conditions briefing.

The Savage Mountain Fire was detected Sunday on the Kootenai National Forest and was initially estimated at 12 acres. Fire crews were dispatched to the scene near Spar Creek. Also on the Kootenai Forest, the Lions Gulch Fire had burned less than an acre as of Sunday afternoon.

A 20-acre fire was contained Saturday north of the Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge.

As of Monday, no fire restrictions were in place for all of Montana. Fire danger was listed as high for the Kootenai Forest, but was rated low for the Flathead Forest, indicating drier conditions west of the Flathead Valley. Fireworks are prohibited on all National Forest lands.

The 10-day forecast shows a warming trend for Western Montana, and while precipitation is possible this week, it won’t be significant, Borsum said.

Canadian wildfire smoke will sink southward in Montana on Tuesday, however concentration levels are expected to be low over the Northern Rockies.