They were detected Wednesday following a Tuesday thunderstorm.
Montana State Forester Bob Harrington says while the guard hasn’t been formally activated, they’re preparing for action.
The fires are burning in steep remote terrain in heavy timber.
The Northern Rockies Coordination Center lists 86 active fires in Montana and Idaho as of Monday morning.
As of Monday, 30 large fires, many in multifire complexes, were burning in the region, which includes Montana, northern Idaho, North Dakota, Yellowstone National Park and a small portion of South Dakota, the NRCG said. With more than 13,000 acres burning, the Thompson fire in Glacier National Park is the largest in the state.
Six lightning strikes were recorded in Badger-Two Medicine area in Lewis and Clark National Forest from the Tuesday storm, and three caused fires, said Mike Munoz, ranger of the forest’s Rocky Mountain Ranger District.
Fire officials are having to pick and choose which fires to focus on. There are dozens of other fires that are being handled at the local level. The Forest Service is under the Department of Agriculture. Kaiser said that fire was poised to cross into Kootenai Forest territory.
“This is really, really tough, risky ground to put firefighters in”, Avey said.
Bullock said the safety of fire fighters and civilians is of utmost importance.
Munoz said the fires are being managed for resources benefits. The fire has forced closure of many backcountry trails in both Glacier and Waterton national parks.
He added fire resources that are able to respond are reaching their limit.
The Cabin Creek fire southeast of Dillon has burned about 895 acres in the Blacktail Mountains. Suenran also said a helicopter flew in Saturday. Crews are now working to identify places to get their equipment into the area of the fire and engage it directly, with the priority being to focus on the south and west sides to keep the Morrell Complex away from Seeley Lake.
The Sucker Creek fire to the northeast of Lincoln grew slightly over the weekend to 2,500 acres.
