An Independence Day firework lit a nearly six-acre blaze Thursday near East Helena, and it was put out in about two hours, an official said.
There were no injuries or personal property damages, Tri-Lakes Volunteer Fire Chief Marc Weniger reported.
The fire, which was in Fireweed Loop, was started by a Roman candle firework that ignited dry cheatgrass after landing in undeveloped dirt near the residential cul de sac, Weniger said.
Tri-Lakes Fire, which had split its staff into three teams for the fire-heavy holiday, received the call around 7:20 p.m.
It sent two engines and a water tender. It received help from two more engines and a crew leader with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, which was also stationed in the valley as a precaution.
The fire was put out and “mucked up” shortly after 9 p.m., Weniger said.
But even if the fire had been taken care of relatively quickly, it could have easily gotten out of hand, he warned.
Cheatgrass, which surrounds the neighborhood, is an aggressively invasive weed and infamously flammable. Between the plentiful fuel and the winds coming from the west, the fire could have blown into something disastrous.
On Facebook, Tri-Lakes Fire advised people to mow the cheatgrass near their homes to “get those fuels on the ground.”
The Fireweed Loop fire was one of two July 4 fires in the Helena area, the other naturally caused and only burning 0.1 acres near Sperry Road, in wooded areas north of Helena, according to the Montana Fire Information website.
Statewide, there were 26 fires in the last 24 hours, with 19 still active. There are no large active fires, as of noon Friday.
Christine Compton is a city reporter for the Helena Independent Record.
