Montana Wildfire Update: Aug. 2–9

This story is excerpted from the MT Lowdown, a weekly newsletter digest containing original reporting and analysis published every Friday.

High humidity and low temperatures slowed the pace of new fire growth in Montana toward the end of the week, enabling fire responders to quickly contain several new fires. The Grouse, Miller Peak and Black Mountain fires remain the three largest active blazes in the state.

The Grouse Fire spans 3,720 acres in Beaverhead County. The fire grew substantially over the past seven days. Rocky Mountain Team Three, a Complex Incident Management Team designed to combat major wildfires, took command at 6:00 a.m. on Friday. That morning saw slower fire growth and initial containment.

The Miller Peak Fire, first reported July 14, continues to burn seven miles southeast of Missoula. The blaze is now almost entirely contained. The number of personnel assigned to the fire shrank by about two-thirds in the past week.

The Black Mountain Fire covers 182 acres six miles northwest of Lincoln. A large team has almost entirely contained the fire since it was first reported at the end of July.

The statewide forecast for the coming week doesn’t look likely to bring increased fire danger. According to Jen Kitsmiller, a National Weather Service meteorologist based out of Missoula, the coming days offer high chances of moisture-heavy thunderstorms along with cooler temperatures and humidity similar to the tail end of the past week. Air quality remains good, but it could decrease as a result of wildfire smoke blowing into Montana from Washington, Oregon, and northern California. After the weekend, temperatures will rise but remain cooler than the highs recorded in July.