Several wildfires continued to burn to the north and northwest of Helena Sunday.Â
Nevada Creek fire
The Nevada Creek fire, which started Thursday, has burned approximately 55 acres with 0% containment thus far.
The fire is burning about 7 miles southeast of the junction of Highway 200 and Highway 279 and visible from Lincoln and Helena
The fire has spread primarily by burning in the beetle-killed surface fuels and then by a torching/spotting cycle. This cycle does create the potential for additional growth. A crew of 105 individuals was focused on aviation and ground operations to bolster containment and confine strategy Sunday.
The fire location is pretty remote with rough terrain, so the progress will be slow. There are only limited crews on the fire at this point, and they are focusing on attacking small segments one at a time. Given the terrain, their first priority has been firefighter safety. They will continue to support crews with air operations as requested.
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A west to northwest wind flow will prevail into early next week as high pressure in the southwest U.S. gradually rebuilds to the north and northwest. Temperatures will generally remain near to slightly above seasonal averages with a gradual increase in the risk for thunderstorm activity occurring through the middle of next week.
The area continues to remain under closure and no structures are threatened at this time.
Black Diamond fire
The Black Diamond fire, which started Friday southeast of Lincoln as a result of a lightning strike, has burned about 36 acres and is 0% contained.Â
Crews do have a line around the fire, but it is not a containment line yet as they are continually working to reinforce it. Similar to Nevada Creek, the terrain is rough so progress is slow, and crews are tackling individual chunks at a time.
Eagle Canyon fire
The Eagle Canyon fire that started 4 miles northeast of Craig on Friday had burned 29 acres and was 60% contained as of Sunday afternoon, according to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.Â
The evacuations ordered Friday were lifted Saturday evening, and crews are working to improve fire line and mopping up.
Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said the fire was human-caused but has not yet provided additional details.  Â
North Hills fire
The North Hills Fire, which marked the start of a recent string of wildfires around Helena, was 90% contained as of Sunday morning. The fire is estimated to have burned approximately 5,019 acres.
Many crews are being reassigned to other incidents, however, firefighters and equipment still remain. Following the transition to the Type 3 Incident Management Team at 6 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 5, the Incident Command Post will remain in place as Mike Almas’ Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3 takes command of the Nevada Creek Complex in the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
Over the next few days, weather will return to somewhat drier conditions with an absence of high winds, which makes additional growth unlikely.