HUNGRY HORSE - The Ridge fire — sparked by dry lightning on July 30, 2023 — is burning 633 acres.
The blaze is burning six miles southeast of Hungry Horse on the Flathead National Forest.
Aerial and ground resources responded quickly and estimated the fire size to be about 30 acres. But fire managers report that due to the terrain, fuels and weather, firefighting crews were unable to directly attack the fire.
The Type 3 Incident Management Team has taken over command of the fire and additional resources have been arriving to battle the Ridge Fire.
Fire crews worked on Wednesday to protect critical infrastructure by removing hazardous fuels around communication towers near Desert Mountain. According to the Thursday update, "this is a full suppression fire and firefighter and public safety is the top priority."
Firefighters are working to keep the fire away from Martin City and the private land west of Forest Service Road 38.
The fire is actively burning on all sides in steep terrain with heavy dead and down fuels with smoke is visible from locations along Highway 2 and Hungry Horse.
There are currently no evacuations in place as a result of the Ridge Fire.
An area closure is in effect on the Flathead National Forest to provide public and firefighter safety due to fire activities on the Ridge Fire.
The western and northern boundary of the closure area starts at the junction of National Forest System (NFS) Road 497 and NFS Road 38 and runs north along the western and northern Coram Experimental Forest boundaries to Desert Mountain.
The northern boundary continues from Desert Mountain due east to the Great Bear Wilderness boundary. The eastern boundary then runs southeast along the Great Bear Wilderness boundary to Tiger Creek in section 12 T30N R18W and then along Tiger Creek south to NFS Road 38. The southern boundary is up to FSR 38 between Tiger Creek and NFS Road 497.
Fire danger is extreme and Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in effect om the Flathead National Forest.
