Hamilton, Montana (August 4, 2016) – Fire danger on the Bitterroot National Forest has been raised to “Very High” this morning. This summer, fire crews have responded to 11 human-caused fires and 10 lightning-caused fires. All fires, except the Roaring Lion and Observation Fires, have been extinguished.
Hotter and drier weather is predicted with the possibility of thunderstorms beginning Friday through the weekend. When fire danger is “very high” fires will start from most causes. The fires will spread rapidly and have a quick increase in intensity, right after ignition. Small fires can quickly become large fires and exhibit extreme fire intensity, such as long-distance spotting and fire whirls. These fires can be difficult to control and will often become much larger and longer-lasting fires.
The Roaring Lion grew by over 500 acres yesterday and is currently estimated at 7,752 acres. Containment is 7%. There is a public meeting scheduled tonight at 7pm at the Assembly of God Church, 601 W. Main Street. Members of the Incident Management Team and local cooperators will be there to share the latest fire information as well as answer questions from the community. For the latest on the Roaring Lion fire visit http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4913/.