CSKT crews battle 18,000-acre blaze

BROWNING — The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes assisted the Blackfeet Tribe in fighting four fires near Browning, which started Wednesday, Jan. 4 and burned nearly 20,000 acres of land over four days.

CSKT information officer Devlin Lafrombois said that wind gusts near 60 m.p.h. were the primary culprit for a fallen power pole igniting a 12,000-acre fire over a 15-mile stretch, while sparks from a chimney started a 6,000-acre fire. The other two fires, according to Lafrombois, were small and put out shortly after starting.

The 12,000-acre fire, known as the Wye fire, burned primarily across wheat fields, while the 6,000-acre fire, known as the Boy fire, burned up cottonwood stands. At some points, the fires were 50-100 yards wide.

Both fires were heavily wind-driven and were responsible for damage to houses, vehicles, tractors and numerous outbuildings, according to Lafrombois. Roughly 400 people were displaced for a night in shelters, gyms and churches, but because grass fires are so fast-moving, especially considering wind conditions, people were back in their homes by the next day.

Local rural fire departments helped fight the fire until the CSKT fire department sent four engines to Browning on Thursday afternoon. Four Flathead National Forest engines and at least five Blackfeet engines joined the CSKT fire department until Saturday afternoon, when the fires had been 95 percent contained.

Local fire departments near Browning will spend the week containing what’s left and putting out hotspots, while continuing to monitor the situation, as more winds could potentially blow hotspots into springing new fires.

Despite the size of the fires, no injuries were reported and the damage could have been much worse.

“The fires burned right up to the doorstep in numerous houses,” Lafrombois said. “Fortunately, only two houses were damaged.”

The CSKT and Blackfeet Tribe have a mutual agreement to provide aid to one another. Lafrombois said that there have been at least three occasions over the last year in which the CSKT have assisted the Blackfeet Tribe.