UPDATE 8:51 p.m. - Officials declared the Mountain View Fire 100 percent contained at 8 p.m. Monday night.
BILLINGS - The Mountain View Fire burning seven miles southeast of Molt should be 100 percent contained by Tuesday according to a Monday release from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC).
As of 10 a.m., Monday, the fire was 85 percent contained.
Crystal Beckman, MT DNRC spokesperson, said crews will convene at 8 p.m., Monday, to swap numbers and hopefully declare the fire contained.
The lightning caused fire has been burning since Aug. 28, and scorched 2,800 acres of private and state trust lands.
According to the release, on Monday fire crews will, "patrol the fire perimeter, extinguish interior heat and repair the fire line that heavy equipment created during the initial attack."
Fighting the fire Monday were 16 fire engines, two water tenders, two hot shot crews, two pieces of heavy equipment, and two helicopters.
On Tuesday, many resources that have been fighting the fire will leave the scene, including the County Assist Team. DNRC and local resources will be patrolling the fire in the coming days.
Officials said it is not uncommon for the puffs of smoke or ash/dust tornadoes to be seen in the burned area after the fire is put out. "This is normal when weather is hot, dry and windy over a large burned area," the release stated.
Over six days of firefighting crews came from Absarokee, Big Timber, Blue Creek, Bridger, Broadview, City of Billings, Columbus, Fromberg, Fuego, Joliet, Laurel, Lockwood, Molt, Park City, Red Lodge, Shepherd, and Worden.
