The Skillet Fire west of Olney reached 3,321 acres and 28% containment Tuesday morning, Aug. 11.  

Evacuation orders were lifted for the Good Creek, Alder Creek and Greg Creek areas on Saturday. Only residents are allowed to return as a closure remains in place for the area. 

The Skillet Fire began Wednesday, July 29 in the Tally Lake Ranger District and quickly spread through heavy timber and downed trees, crossing into the Kootenai National Forest. The number of firefighting personnel increased to 569 in the following days.  

Despite difficult terrain, firefighters continue to build fire lines around the south and eastern perimeter. Existing terrain features and roads including Martin Creek Road, Alder Creek, Robinson Creek drainage, Twin Meadows Creek as well as the East Fork fire scar are being used as foundations to build line.  

Smoke smothered the Flathead Valley and surrounding areas over the weekend, with some monitors in Whitefish reporting near hazardous air on Sunday.  

Haze began to dissipate Tuesday and may clear further on Wednesday with increased moisture and showers forecasted and thunderstorms possible. Isolated showers may continue into the weekend. Temperatures should cool to the 60s and 70s across the state on Thursday.  

Much of the recent smoke has come from Washington and Oregon. 

A five-soldier Montana National Guard team was deployed Tuesday to help support fire response in Washington. The state is experiencing significant wildfires, including more than 10,000 acres burning in Spokane.  

According to a DNRC Montana dashboard, there are 27 active fires and 92,544 acres have burned across the state this year. 

The Silvertip Fire in the Bob Marshall Wilderness is about 6,500 acres. Fire activity and rates of spread continue to be relatively low, the Forest Service reported. Several trails near Pentagon and Silvertip Creek, including Trail 83 have been closed. The Silvertip Fire is west of Pentagon Cabin. 

The largest wildfires in the state are the Sand Creek and Bobcat Lakes Fires, both burning in the Pioneer Mountains in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest at 15,784 and 7,686 acres, respectively.  

Despite the smoke, the Huckleberry Days Festival in Depot Park had a decent turn-out, especially from visitors, Whitefish Chamber of Commerce employees reported. The Glacier Park College Showcase was postponed to Saturday while the WAVE's annual Whitefish Lake swim event was cancelled. 

    Firefighters used a tall tree stem to put a sprinkler head higher into the canopy to ensure further coverage of water spray. Flathead National Forest photo.