Willow Creek Fire starts Montana fire season

Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (2) – 6/14/21

A grass fire near Three Forks, named the Willow Creek Fire, burned 330 acres late last week, and was 95 percent contained by Saturday, June 12, according to fire officials. The fire was contained solely on private land and was determined to be human-caused. No injuries or structure damage was reported, but high, dry winds on Friday made containment difficult for fire crews, though they finally gained the upper hand over the weekend. Smoke from a second fire near Townsend was spotted Sunday afternoon, causing closures along U.S. Route 12. With high temperatures and little to no precipitation in the forecast, one thing is clear: fire season has begun early in Montana.