New fires keep crews busy
A lightning-caused fire began Wednesday, Aug. 30 south of St. Ignatius in the Pistol Creek area. The fire was mostly in grasslands, according to officials. (Photo courtesy Devlin LaFrombois)
Fire crews with Chief Cliff Volunteer Fire Department, Rollins Volunteer Fire Department and Polson Rural Volunteer Fire Department responded to a lightning-caused fire Wednesday, Aug. 30 in the Lake Mary Ronan/Webb Lake area. (Photo courtesy of Chief Cliff Volunteer Fire Department)
New fires caused by lightning added to already-low crews from the north of the county to the south on Wednesday, Aug. 30, with the fires spotted within minutes of each other.
In the southern portion of Lake County, a lightning-sparked grasslands fire was spotted by Division of Fire Operations Chief Bob McCrea at 2:06 p.m., Fire Prevention Specialist CT Camel confirmed.
Camel said that the fire was named the Upper Midway fire.
No evacuations were issued.
Camel said Thursday afternoon that officials expected the fire, measured about 620 acres at 80 percent containment.
Working to contain the fire was the Mission Valley Type II team that has also been working on the Blue Bay Fire, which has held at 490 acres and is 80 percent contained as of last week.
That fire, also caused by lightning, began on Aug. 10.
Nine minutes after the Upper Midway fire was reported, an airplane surveying the county for fire activity spotted a “possible fire,” Zoe Lilja from Chief Cliff fire said last Wednesday afternoon.
The blaze was located just outside of the Flathead Reservation in the Lake Mary Ronan and Webb Lake area and was named the West Fork Dayton Creek Fire. After burning for about two hours, it measured at two-tenths of one acre, Lilja confirmed.
It was called in as a possible fire at 2:15 p.m., Lilja said, adding that about 15 minutes later it was confirmed as a fire.
It grew to one-half of an acre by evening, when it was extinguished, Lilja said.
Two helicopters worked to contain the fire while volunteer firefighters and crews from Chief Cliff, Rollins and Polson Rural responded.
Twenty-three people from the Chief Cliff department showed up to the call.