Winds fan small wildfires across state

A crew of 170 firefighters completed a successful burnout operation Saturday on a lightning-caused wildfire burning south of Ronan on the Flathead Reservation.

The burnout was expected to help contain the Moss Ranch Fire by reducing available fuels. Following the burnout, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Division of Fire estimated the blaze at 4,868 acres.

The wildfire was burning in grass and timber along steep and rugged terrain. No structures or other infrastructure were threatened and no evacuations had been ordered.

With high winds expected Saturday, crews were planning to focus on hotspots near the fire perimeter, while also working to secure control lines. Winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 30 mph were predicted for the area Saturday evening.

The National Weather Service also issued a red flag warning for parts north-central Montana due to strong winds and low humidity. The warning was in effect across the Hi-Line from Browning to Harlem and south including areas around Great Falls and Lewistown.

A wildfire burning north of Helena grew to around 100 acres on Saturday. Lewis and Clark County Emergency Management officials said a bulldozer line was built around the fire and aircraft continued to drop fire retardant, but no containment level was established.

State and federal crews made an aggressive attack on the fire north of Lake Helena on Friday, using three air tankers and two helicopters.

Residents of about 100 homes north of Lake Helena remained evacuated Saturday.

Sheriff Leo Dutton has said investigators believe the fire was human-caused.

South of Bannack State Park, firefighters were pulled off a lightning-caused fire Friday after unexploded artillery shells were found within the fire’s boundaries. The Beaverhead County sheriff’s office and the Lewis and Clark County ordinance team removed the shells and were searching for others.

North of Missoula, a small fire is burning on a steep, rocky slope with limited ground access, fire managers said.

“As vegetation that’s holding the rocks burns away, rocks roll down,” Chris Johnson with the U.S. Forest Service told the Missoulian. The rocky terrain is also hampering efforts to dig lines around the 35-acre fire, he said.