FIRE UPDATE for the Doherty Mountain fire east of Whitehall. At 7:30 p.m., a helicopter flying over the fire mapped it at approximately 110 acres. Earlier today, Air Tankers dropped several loads of retardant along the fire's edges, slowing its forward progression. Helicopters dropped water from buckets to cool the fire, assisting the firefighting resources on the ground. Engines from the Forest Service and Montana DNRC are working on the southern edge of the fire, while three Type 2 firefighting crews are working along the northern edge. Engines from local fire departments also responded, highlighting the importance of our inter-agency partners and local resources.
As a result of the response and suppression efforts, the outer edges of the fire have mostly cooled; but areas of the interior continue to burn actively, producing smoke visible to many locations including the I-90 corridor. Motorists and interested public should be aware of firefighting apparatus accessing the area.
Initially reported around 1:00 p.m., this was a fast-moving incident. Fuels are drying out quickly with our recent hot and dry conditions, increasing their susceptibility to burn. The fire was terrain-driven, given its location in steeper country and slopes present. These fuels and weather conditions, especially when aligned with slope and topography, often result in active fire behavior.
We will provide additional updates as they become available.
This is a good reminder that we are in the middle of "fire season" here in the Northern Rockies. Please #RecreateResponsibly and help our firefighting forces by not being the reason for additional fire starts.
