Wildfires ignite near Big Mountain
Whitefish Pilot | Whitefish Pilot | UPDATED 1 year AGO
A Flathead National Forest photo of the Hallowat Fire.
A 3–5-acre wildfire north of Big Mountain was reported Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 4:30 p.m.
The Hallowat Fire is located on the Dead Horse Ridge in the Big Creek drainage of the Glacier View Ranger District in the Flathead National Forest. It is close to the former site of the now-destroyed Forks Lookout. It is in an area burnt by the 2001 Moose Fire, which swept through 71,000 acres in the Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park.
According to a media alert from the Flathead National Forest, the Hallowat Fire is on steep and rugged terrain with limited access for firefighting vehicles and equipment.
Air Attack, one Type 2 helicopter and one Type 1 helicopter delivered water on Tuesday.
On Tuesday at 6:50 p.m., reports on Watch Duty updated the size to 20 acres. It was then reduced to 3-5 acres Wednesday morning.
The public is advised that Trail #452 is within the area of active fire. Smoke may be visible from the summit of Big Mountain.
Several other fires are burning in the Flathead National Forest.
The Radio Fire, located one mile northwest of the radio tower on Big Mountain, is 1/10 of an acre. It was located on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 11 a.m. and has been contained. As of Wednesday afternoon, firefighters are working to ensure areas of heat are fully extinguished.
The Moose Fire, 1/4 of an acre, was located on Monday, Sept. 1 at 2 p.m. in the Big Creek drainage near the road junction of #315 and #316 in the Glacier View Ranger District. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Moose Fire has been contained and firefighters are working alongside a fire engine to extinguish areas of heat.
The Pot Mountain Fire, located in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and Spotted Bear Ranger District, was reported on Aug. 18 and is currently 560 acres.
Due to the moisture and high alpine area conditions adjacent to avalanche chutes, the Pot Mountain Fire continues to show low activity with minimal heat holding in heavy dead and down timber, according to the Flathead National Forest media alert.