Wildfire

The basketball court and baseball fields at the Lolo schools were filled with firefighters and firefighting tools , August 29. Lolo Middle School Principal Shawna Kientz said it was meaningful to see the children visiting with the firefighters that had helped save their school from the Lolo Creek Complex.

Montana is famous for having a tough fire season, but although helicopters and line crews are a regular sight around wildfires like the Lolo Creek Complex, things are done differently at Yellowstone National park.

UPDATE - Thursday, August 29, 7 a.m. Peter Christian spoke with Fire Information Officer Dave Schmitt on the Montana Morning radio show. Schmitt said the fire is now 70 percent contained.

The Eureka wildfire is at around 6,468 acres and still burning about 38 miles south of Ennis, Montana in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

UPDATE - All evacuation orders have been lifted for residents in the Lolo Creek Complex. Fire Information Officer Dixie Dees with KGVO's Peter Christian About 11 miles up a winding mountain road, far above the smoke of the Lolo Creek Complex, the historic Blue Mountain lookout watches over a huge area of Western Montana. The tower is still several miles from the northern edge of the fire, but offi

The Lolo Creek Complex has already claimed five homes and several outbuildings up Highway 12, and over 1,200 homes were served earlier this week with pre-evacuation notices. Homeowners are concerned as to whether or not their insurance will cover damage caused by a wildfire.

The Schoolhouse Fire burning near Highway 12 about 20 miles from Lolo is putting up smoke that is visible from Missoula.

The Gold Pan complex continues to burn in the Frank Church, River of No Return Wilderness just over the Montana border in Idaho. Firefighters are utilizing a seldom-used method to help fight the fire.

Firefighters are making excellent progress on the Firestone Flats Fire on the Flathead Reservation, holding the fire at 1,750 acres.

The Gold Pan Fire Complex currently burning in wilderness areas about 35 miles southwest of Darby was very active on Tuesday, growing by almost 2,000 acres to over 13,000 acres.