Fort Belknap fire almost extinguished

Two days after flames engulfed 2,000 acres of dry prairie on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, authorities say fire crews brought in from other nearby areas to combat the inferno have been sent home and the blaze itself is almost completely contained.

Byard Lamebull, chief of the Fort Belknap Fire Department, said the contribution of eight departments in combating the flames, combined with reduced winds and Thursday night’s snowfall, the blaze has largely been extinguished.

“We got one to three inches of snow on it,” said Lambell.

Volunteers from departments in Flathead and Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation and others returned to their respective communities Friday. However, the Fort Belknap’s Department will continue to monitor the scattered remnants of the fire throughout the weekend.

Because of the snowfall, Lamebull said investigators were not able to give an updated assessment of how much land was scorched.

No deaths, injuries, structural damage or livestock have yet been reported. There were five homes near where the fire had raged, through none were evacuated.

Lambell said it will likely be a few weeks before investigators are able to determine the cause of the fire. Because there were no lightning strikes reported leading up to 2:30 p.m Wednesday when the fire department was first notified, Lambell said the fire was most likely started by a person, either intentionally or by accident.