Firefighters on the Lolo National Forest are responding to two new wildfires burning in heavy timber near the South Fork Fish Creek Community in the Ninemile Ranger District. The fires — named the Owl Creek Fire and the Cache Creek Fire — are positioned roughly a mile north and a mile south of the community, respectively, placing the residential area between two active fire fronts.
Wind speeds in the area are running 10 to 15 miles per hour, a factor that complicates suppression efforts in dense timber. Forest Service crews have been dispatched to both fires, though acreage estimates and containment figures had not been released as of the most recent update. The Ninemile Ranger District, located west of Missoula, sits in terrain familiar to Montanans as some of the state's most rugged and fire-prone forested land.
While the Owl Creek and Cache Creek fires are burning in the Lolo National Forest rather than in Lewis and Clark County, fire conditions across western Montana this week are relevant context for Helena-area residents. The combination of dry fuels, elevated temperatures under the current Heat Advisory, and afternoon winds means fire danger remains high statewide. Residents in the Helena National Forest's wildland-urban interface should review their defensible space and evacuation plans. Updates on the Ninemile fires are available through the Lolo National Forest's public affairs office.