The National Weather Service in Great Falls issued a Red Flag Warning late Thursday night for a broad swath of central Montana, including the Lewis and Clark National Forest Rocky Mountain District and the Rocky Mountain Front, with the warning running through 9 p.m. Saturday. Forecasters cited a dangerous combination of high winds, low humidity, and extreme temperatures.
Conditions driving the warning include southwest winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts reaching 40 mph, relative humidity dropping as low as 10 percent, and temperatures up to 107 degrees in affected areas. Those conditions — dry fuels, wind, and heat together — are the recipe for fast-moving wildfire starts that can outpace initial attack.
The warning covers a wide area that includes Eastern Glacier, Toole, central and eastern Pondera, Liberty, Hill, Blaine, Chouteau, and Fergus counties, as well as central and eastern portions of the Lewis and Clark National Forest. For Helena-area residents with property near forest land or the Rocky Mountain Front, the warning is a reminder to avoid any outdoor burning and to be cautious with anything that could generate a spark. The warning expires Saturday evening at 9 p.m. MDT.