Wildfire crews across Western Montana spent the weekend battling a wave of new ignitions, with at least 118 fires starting statewide in the past seven days alone — a pace that is stretching firefighting resources thin heading into August.
The largest named fire in the region is the Skillet Fire, burning in the Flathead National Forest about 15 miles west of Olney. By Sunday it had consumed more than 1,300 acres. The Flathead County Sheriff issued evacuation orders for residents in the fire's path over the weekend, and crews were working to establish containment lines as conditions remained active.
While the Skillet Fire is burning well north of Helena, the scale of ignitions across the western part of the state is a reminder that fire weather is not limited to any single corridor. Helena-area residents should monitor air quality advisories and stay current with the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest's closure notices, which have already been expanded this week in response to fires burning closer to home.