Federal officials say Montana has a safe aviation program, but it is unlikely the state's five firefighting helicopters will be used to respond to blazes on U.S. Forest Service lands this year.
Mineral County and parts of Missoula County underwent new fire evacuations this past weekend as the West Fork Fish Creek Fire continued to grow to over 12,000 acres. But within the past 48 hours, fire information officer Kim Smolt said clear skies have finally led firefighters to get eyes on the fire for the first time since the fire started.
Firefighters have responded to and extinguished over 30 wildfires in the Bitterroot National Forest this summer, but 18 new wildfires were started by lightning this week and all but four are currently contained.