Circle of fire: Four blazes fanned by high winds
The Middle Ridge Fire jumped the Flathead River north of Sloans Bridge and boiled across a field near Round Butte Road Sunday afternoon, fueled by low humidity and gusty winds. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Three Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) skimmed Flathead Lake, before dousing the fire near Niarada Sunday afternoon. The blaze had consumed 4,275 acres by Monday and forced a temporary closure of Hwy. 28 between Elmo and Niarada. (Taurie Matt/Leader)
Like a giant bird, a Type 2 helicopter prepares to settle at the Ronan Airport after a long day of battling the blazes that flared up across the Mission Valley. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
The Middle Ridge Fire did the unexpected Sunday, and crossed the Flathead River, forcing evacuations and alerts in the area west of Ronan. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
Keith Blevins of the Charlo-Moiese Fire Department keeps an eye on the Communication Butte fire north of Dixon as it threatened the east side of the Flathead River and the Bison Range Sunday afternoon. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
The dry lightning that strode across western Montana Saturday night was bad enough, starting a line of fires from north of Dixon to Niarada. But when winds, reportedly gusting up to 40 mph, kicked up Sunday afternoon, fires that seemed manageable suddenly weren’t. ...
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