A destructive wildfire burned dozens of buildings late last week near the western Montana community of Paradise.
Fire officials said firefighters’ hard work, combined with recent cool, wet weather have temporarily tamped down the fire’s activity, but the incident is a long way from full containment.
Sanders County Sheriff Shawn Fielders told residents at a public meeting Thursday that preliminary numbers show the River Road East fire burned at least 55 structures last weekend.
“That’s everything from an outbuilding to a house and 15 of those were primary residences. It’s a lot, but it could have been far, far worse,” Fielders said.
The cause is unknown, but according to a Friday update it’s burned over 17,000 acres with 7% containment reported.
More highly visible smoke columns are likely as the fire reaches unburned fuels over the coming weeks and months.
Forecasters predict an overall hot and dry autumn. Fire experts caution Montanans against being lulled into a false sense of security that fire season is almost over.
