Fires in Blaine county, fire chief injured

Blaine County volunteer firefighting crews spent late Tuesday putting out at least two fires that ignited earlier in the day, one of which was wind-related, the other injuring a fire chief who was battling it.

Fire Chief of the Harlem Fire Department, Robert Scheffelmaer, was injured while battling a fire near Harlem, said Kraig Hansen, fire chief of the Chinook volunteer fire department. Hansen had no further details about how Scheffelmaer was injured or his condition. Julianne LaSmith from Northern Montana Hospital said this morning that Scheffelmaer was not at the hospital.

A fire on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation southeast of the Harlem golf course, about two miles south of the town, started about 7 p.m. Tuesday and was put out earlier today, Blaine County Sheriff Glenn Huestis said this morning. Huestis could not say what the cause of the fire was and neither could Hansen, who responded to the fire.

Hansen said volunteer fire departments from Harlem, Chinook, Hogeland, Turner, South Blaine, Kremlin and Gildford responded to the Harlem fire.

The Turner fire, about a mile south of the Canadian border on private property, started about 10 p.m. and was contained by midnight, Turner Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief David Jones said this morning.

Jones said local farmers and ranchers responded quickly and with great effort.

The Turner fire was started after something, most likely a metallic object, was carried by heavy gusts into a power line, causing sparks to ignite the grass underneath.

Erik Gustafson of the National Weather Service in Great Falls said this morning that winds in north-central Montana kept steady at about 40 mph during most of the day starting about 3 p.m. and died down about 11 p.m. The winds peaked at 60 mph later in the afternoon throughout the region.