Missoula Mt. Jumbo Grass Fire Was One of Many

Over the weekend, a small grass fire broke out near Missoula’s Mt. Jumbo, and that wasn't the only grass fire Missoula crews have had to handle so far this March.

"It started right off the freeway, east of the Van Buren exit and just west of the East Missoula exit," said Missoula Fire Department Assistant Chief Chad Nicholson. "We were able to catch the fire before it got too far up the hill. Right now, before green-up, people have to be really careful with fire. We don't know if someone pulled over and started it with a hot exhaust, we couldn't find any evidence of what started the fire."

Nicholson says there have been at least three out-of-control planned burns in Missoula county already and that the public needs to be extra careful about fire near the dry brown grass that has been exposed by the thaw.