Ant Park Fire Burns Near North Fork of the Smith; Northern Rockies Team 8 on Scene

The Ant Park Fire was burning roughly one mile south of Lost Fork Ridge near the headwaters of the North Fork of the Smith River as of Wednesday, August 13, according to a public update from the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 8, led by Incident Commander Nathan Stephens, is managing the fire, which is being tracked on InciWeb.

The Forest posted a fire information line — 406-420-3015, staffed 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. — and a dedicated email address for public inquiries. No acreage figure or containment percentage was included in the public update, but the remote location near the Smith River headwaters puts the fire in a drainage that draws heavy recreational use during summer and early fall.

Residents with questions about the fire or nearby access roads are encouraged to call the information line before heading into the area. Fire conditions in the Helena-area forests have been active this summer, and the assignment of a full incident management team signals the Ant Park Fire is being treated as a significant resource.