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Wildfire, fire management and air quality news for western Montana and the Northern Rockies.

Crews Tackling Wildfire Near Hot Springs

Montana Wildfire News
Montana Wildfire News

Crews are trying to finish digging control lines around the 20 acre Welcome 1002 Fire burning a few miles southwest of the town of Hot Springs on the Flathead Indian Reservation.

C.T. Camel, fire management specialist for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, says firefighters are working quick to preempt high projected temperatures the rest of the week.

"The next couple days are going to be 85 to 90 [degrees] with relative humidity dipping down maybe into the teens. So hopefully they can get those control lines in and everything secure before any of that happens."

Camel says the Hot Springs 1000 and Hot Springs 3000 forest roads have been closed due to fire proximity. Highway 28 remains open.

86 people are working the blaze, which was caused by a weekend lightning storm. There’s also a helicopter on scene.

The fire is 0% contained, but Camel says no structures are at risk. No evacuation notices have been filed.

Kevin is a UM Journalism graduate student and reporter for MTPR.
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