Fire restrictions lifting Friday in Blaine, Hill counties, Fort Belknap

Staff and wire report

With cooler weather and precipitation falling, fire restrictions will be lifted in Hill and Blaine counties and the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation this weekend, although burn permits will not be issued in Blaine County.

“We’re lifting Stage 1 restrictions but were keeping a county-wide fire ban,” Blaine County Commissioner Frank DePriest said this morning.

Hill County will consider burn permit applications starting Friday morning.

With hot, dry, windy weather and numerous small fires occurring in the region, the counties had imposed Stage 1 fire restrictions...