North Lake Fire remains active; 17 more fires crop up around Flathead

A wildfire that started on the north end of Whitefish Lake on Saturday was 80% contained as of Monday morning according to Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) officials.

Over the weekend the North Lake Fire grew to 17 total acres. Officials said Monday that a containment line was established around spot fires and crews continued to mop up.

However, in a news release from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday afternoon, Sheriff Brian Heino stated that the North Lake Fire remained active.

Helicopters were actively fighting the fire again on Monday late afternoon after hotspots picked up, according to Joseph Raudabaugh, a resident who lives near the lake. As of press time on Tuesday, there had been no other updates on the status of the fire from the Montana DNRC.

On Saturday, July 29, the human-caused fire was sparked by equipment in a dry hayfield north of Delrey Road and spread into forested areas of the Stillwater State Forest. Fire crews were quick to jump on the wildfire with a heavy aerial and ground attack that knocked down the initial blaze that evening.

As of Sunday, the North Lake Fire had burned a total of 5 acres but spot fires existed in a 17-acre perimeter. Sunday the fire was 15% contained, and by Monday officials said it was 80% contained.

The fire was initially detected by the Werner Peak Lookout. The aerial support was dispatched Saturday at 1 p.m., including Type 1, 2 and 3 helicopters. Five engines, two water tenders, a hand crew and hotshot crew also assisted.

Structures and homes are within the vicinity of the fire, but no evacuations were issued.

The fire danger level for Northwest Montana was elevated to “extreme” on Tuesday, prompting Flathead County commissioners to declare a state of emergency for the county.

The emergency status activates portions of the county’s emergency plan and authorizes aid from the emergency and disaster fund.

“After fighting the fires from this weekend, Flathead County is looking good, but that could change at any minute,” Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino warned in a media release.

DRY LIGHTNING storms sparked 17 other fires on Flathead National Forest land overnight between Saturday and Sunday. Fire officials reported on Tuesday morning that firefighters were investigating smoke reports and conducting initial attacks.

The largest of the new fires is the Tin Soldier Complex burning on the Spotted Bear Ranger District. This fire combines the Kah Mountain and Bruce fires with two other smaller starts.

Officials say Firefighting crews are responding to the fire and a Type 3 Incident Management Team has been ordered to take command of the Tin Soldier Complex. The fire as of Tuesday was estimated at 80-100 acres.

Spotted Bear Ranger District had reported seven fires as of Tuesday.

The Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District is reporting nine fires — one is controlled and two are now contained. The Doris Point Fire is estimated at 0.5 acres and is burning on an 80-90% slope in thick timber and vegetation with prevalent large-diameter dead trees.

Officials said Tuesday, “Fire personnel were able to approach the fire on Sunday but the risk to firefighter safety is very high due to the fire’s location. Fire personnel are working to evaluate opportunities and suppression plans that prioritize safety and probability of success.”

The Ridge Fire is the largest burning on the Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District, estimated at 20-30 acres on Tuesday morning. The fire is actively backing down toward Embry drainage through mature timber.

“This is a full suppression fire and fire personnel are assessing control features, utilizing old logging roads,” officials said Tuesday. “Heavy equipment has been ordered to support firefighting efforts.”

SEVERAL FIRES are also burning across Lake County, many of which were sparked by recent dry lightning storms.

The Niarada Fire on Sunday burned along Montana 28 west of Elmo. It had burned an estimated 5,000 acres as of Monday.

The Middle Ridge Fire west of Sloan’s Bridge and Ronan was sized at 7,000 acres on Monday.

The Big Knife Fire east of Arlee blew up to 3,000 acres on Sunday.

The Colt Fire burning north of Seeley Lake continues to grow, burning more than 6,100 acres on the Lolo and Flathead national forests as of Monday morning.

Conditions are expected to improve as monsoonal moisture begins to affect the region.

“These storms have a chance to be pretty wet for southern Montana,” meteorologist Dan Borsum said in the Northern Rockies Coordination Center weather briefing Monday.

The 10-day outlook shows below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation chances for Western Montana.

Stage 1 fire restrictions are in place and there are no fire-related area or road closures on the Flathead National Forest.