Numerous fires hit area in the past week

Last week Hill and its neighboring counties saw a large number of wildfires, most caused by lightning and all of which appear to be fully contained if not extinguished.

In a fire call this morning Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson said the county saw five wildfire related calls last week, most of the fires being weather-related, and all of which were contained in relatively short order.

He said damage was restricted to 20 acres and the local fire departments and emergency services deserve a tip of the hat for their quick reactions and effective responses.

Blaine County Commissioner Frank DePriest said his county saw seven fires, all of them small and all but one of them caused by lightning.

Six of these fires were in the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument area and have been contained and controlled, according to information provided by Bureau of Land Management North Central Montana District Fire Management Officer Josh Barta in an email from BLM Monday.

The email said fire response was conducted in cooperation with Blaine County resources including the Chinook Volunteer Department, Harlem Volunteer Fire Department, Lloyd Volunteer Department, the South Blaine Volunteer Department, the Big Sandy Volunteer Department, the Fort Belknap Volunteer Department, the Montana State Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, local landowners, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Forest Service.

Resources used include engines, hand crews, single-engines air-tankers, and helicopters.

Chouteau County, which is currently in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, did not fare as well, having lost 300 acres in one of the six fires the county saw last week.

The Northern Rockies Coordination Center shows no active fires in Hill or the surrounding counties this morning.