Jennings Haul Road fires were human-caused

Two wild fires just outside of Libby city limits last week were human-caused.

According to Kootenai National Forest Deputy Fire Officer Jacob Jeresek, while specific causes of both fires weren't known, they were determined to be caused by people.

Fire conditions will worsen at the end of week with temperatures approaching 100 degrees with west winds between 5 and 7 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.

Jeresek said northwest Montana is not under current fire restrictions, but he added, "It's dry out there and on more south facing aspects, the grass is curing quickly. It's only a matter of time before we have a large fire."

Fire crews have worked multiple wild fires across the region since last week.

Both fires near Libby were located just off Jennings Haul Road while another was listed in the Cedar Creek area by the Kootenai Dispatch Center.

The largest was four acres and it was about four miles up the Haul Road. It is listed as controlled on Saturday, July 15.

The other, two miles up Haul Road, was listed at one-quarter of an acre. It was listed as being out on Sunday, July 16.

Helicopters dumped loads of water on the Haul Road fires from the nearby Kootenai River. An air tanker dumped fire retardant on the Four Mile Fire.

U.S. Forest Service, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and Lincoln County agencies all worked on the fires.

According to the dispatch center, fire crews put out a one-tenth acre fire just west of Libby. The Billboard Fire was listed as out on Saturday.

The Libby Volunteer Fire Department also handled a smoke check on Farm to Market Road south of Libby.

The fires were just four of 19 fires that were reported across the Kootenai National Forest since July 10.

Five of the six reported since July 14 were kept under one acre and are listed as contained or controlled.

One above Waper Ridge Road in the Yaak is listed at three acres. Jeresek said a cause has not been determined, but it is likely lightning. It was reported on Sunday, July 16.

A few storms last week did include lightning.

Fires outside of Libby also were quickly brought under control in the Sheldon Flats Road area, near Teepee Lake and River Bend.

Crews were still dealing with the Savage Mountain Fire in the Spar Creek area. It was listed at 20 acres as of Thursday.

On the west side of the Cabinet Mountains, crews were working the 2-acre Government Mule Fire north of Government Mountain in Sanders County.

In the northern part of Lincoln County, a few fires were under control. One was in the Glenn Creek area east of Eureka while another was in the Ten Mile Mountain area.