Firefighters contained the blaze late Monday afternoon and held it to less than a half-acre.
By JoVonne Wagner MONTANA FREE PRESS
Firefighters with the Helena Fire Department and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation contained a fire on the north face of Mt. Helena Monday afternoon, according to a city press release.
As of 4:30 p.m., the fire had burned about a quarter of an acre, according to a DNRC social media post. At 5:10 p.m., the Helena Fire Department released an update stating that the fire had been contained and held to less than half an acre.
The department initially dispatched two fire engines and one helicopter, and was using the Mt. Helena trailhead as a staging area.
While the fire has been contained, the DNRC is still working to fully extinguish it by dropping water from a helicopter.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown and remains under investigation, according to the city.
City officials are requesting that residents stay clear of the Mt. Helena area and the trailhead, and that the public not fly drones above the fire.
Firefighters’ response to a 2022 blaze on Mount Helena was delayed by a resident flying a drone in the area, which fire officials said posed a safety risk to helicopter and plane pilots.
While no evacuation orders or warnings were issued, Mt. Helena borders several neighborhoods in Helena’s south hills.
