MISSOULA — Sunday, fire crews continued to tackle blazes across Western Montana after a weekend of intense wildfire weather. As a whole, Montana has seen at least 118 new fires start just this past week, including several that sparked over the weekend.
The Skillet Fire has burned over 1,300 acres in the Flathead National Forest, 15 miles west of Olney. Saturday, the Flathead County Sheriff ordered evacuations in the Good Creek/Alder Creek area. The cause of the fire, which started on July 29th, is unknown. It is 0% contained as of Sunday evening and burning in areas of trees downed by the December 2025 windstorm. More than 150 personnel are working to contain it.
On the other side of Flathead National Forest, the Silvertip Fire has grown to over 6,000 acres in the remote Spotted Bear Ranger District. It sparked on July 25th. Fire managers are expecting it to keep growing incrementally to the north and east.
In Lolo National Forest, the Elder 1 Fire has burned more than 1,200 acres outside of Frenchtown. It was ignited by lightning on July 24th. More than 300 personnel have been making progress and the fire is 40% contained as of Sunday evening.
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Several fires are also burning in the Bitterroot National Forest. As of Sunday evening, the North Fork Fire has burned 116 acres in steep and rocky terrain south of Hamilton. Saturday, two new fires started up, the Butterfly Fire, east of Hamilton, and the Black Bear Fire, near Black Bear Campground. As crews tackle those, there are some road and trail closures across the forest.
In Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, as of Sunday evening, the Moose Fire has burned nearly 600 acres about 25 miles southwest of Philipsburg. Near Wisdom, the Sand Creek Fire has burned at least 1,000 acres and the Bobcat Lakes Fire has burned more than 750 acres.
