Fires dissipate in region as weather cools

The region has seen a relatively tame week of fire activity as the weather appears to have turned for the better.

In a regional fire call Tuesday local counties and agencies reported significantly fewer fires than in the past few months with Hill County and the Fort Belknap being among those who had a fire-free week.

Unfortunately, Blaine County wasn’t as lucky, with Blaine County Commissioner Frank DePriest saying they had three fires last week, one of which burned 25 acres.

No counties changed their fire restrictions, but a few said they were considering downgrading their restrictions next week.

As for upcoming weather, National Weather Service Glasgow Lead Forecaster Ted Jamba said heat and wind may return to the areas west of Phillips and Petroleum counties as south-east winds increase.

Jamba said north-central Montana will likely be see hotter weather this week as well, with 90-degree weather around much of Montana. However, he said, this should dissipate soon as a new front comes into the area.

He said wind will shift Thursday to be coming from the northwest, and central Montana will likely get some showers late Friday, but the showers probably won’t make it to the northeast even as the weekend gets cooler.