Wildfire burning in Hill County

Havre Daily News staff

Lighting strikes caused two fires in Hill County Saturday, one burning two outbuildings and another bringing an international team to fight a fire that burned 1,500 acres on both sides of the border.

Hill County Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator Dave Sheppard said this morning that the first fire, about 11 miles north of Rudyard, destroyed two uninhabited buildings. Sheppard said he did not know as of this morning to whom the buildings belonged.

The other lightning-caused fire started Saturday night in Alberta and burned across the border into western Hill County, leading to Hill County volunteer fire departments and firefighters from Alberta to respond.

Sheppard said Alberta deployed eight airplanes and two helicopters to help fight the fire, which had a 12-mile long fire line at one point.

He added that the firefighters’ efforts were hampered by 40-mile-per-hour winds Sunday, but it appeared to be contained or extinguished and resources were being taken off the fire Sunday night.

Sheppard added that rough terrain made using vehicles to get to the fire difficult.

Several other small lightning-caused fires were reported in the region.

In the July Fire in the Little Rocky Mountains, the federal management team released Saturday what it said would be its final fact sheet on the fire.

The announcement said the fire was 90 percent contained Sunday and the team was transferring management back to the local unit Sunday.

The fact sheet said the fire, which had burned 11,400 acres, or nearly 18 square miles, was still hitting unburned pockets of vegetation and people still are likely to see smoke.