UPDATE: June 1, 2025, 5:45 p.m.
The Banana Lake Fire near Plains has grown to 850 acres.
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation reports there are currently no evacuation orders in place for this fire burning 4 miles north of Plains.
Watch to learn more about efforts to battle the wildfire in Sanders County:
The DNRC says resources worked through Saturday night doing structure protection. The fire saw moderate behavior overnight.
On Sunday, multiple resources arrived on the scene and are working to construct a containment line around the fire.
The DNRC says the fire behavior is moderate and is burning in open timber with frequent torching and spotting during the heat of the day.
An Incident Management Type 3 Team has been ordered and will arrive Sunday night for Monday morning.
Resources on the scene include: 9 Agency engines; 2 helicopters; 2 Type 2 Hand Crews; 1 Type 1 Hotshot crew; 1 10-person mod; 8 local government engines; 3 dozers; 1 soft track skidgen; 3 water tenders.
(first report: June 1, 2025, 10:31 a.m.
A wildfire that sparked Saturday afternoon near Plains has already grown to more than 600 acres.
The Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District reported that resources were in place all night, patrolling structures in the area of the Banana Lake Fire.
The blaze is burning northeast of Plains around the Locust Hill Lane area off Montana Highway 28.
PPRFD shared an update at 3 a.m. on Sunday indicating the fire had dropped to moderate behavior, but more activity was expected the following day.
Several agencies were called to the Banana Lake Fire with PPRFD on Saturday, including Plains City Fire, Plains City Ambulance, Hot Springs Fire, and St. Regis Fire. The Montana DNRC was also on scene.
The fire is visible from Highways 28 and 200. Fire officials shared Saturday night that Highway 28 has reopened at its junctions with Highways 200 and 382. Drivers are urged to travel with caution as emergency vehicles and fire crews are active on the roads.
The DNRC was reporting online the Banana Lake Fire was at least 600 acres as of Sunday morning. The fire's cause has not yet been determined.
