Colt Fire’s containment expands northwest of Seeley Lake

Seeley Lake, Montana – Crews fighting the Colt Fire, which is 15 miles northwest of Seeley Lake, have benefited from the recent cooler and wetter weather.

According to the Tuesday update, containment increased from 25% to 39% but the size of the fire remained same at 7,179 acres.

According to fire officials, personnel have successfully mopped up leftover heat on the fire’s northeast and eastern edges by taking advantage of the weather changes. On Monday, cleanup efforts at the fire near Beaver Lake went on as usual.

Crews were able to effectively access the southern perimeter of the fire to build a line toward Sunset Ridge on Monday thanks to the dry weather.

In the following days, air operations will use two unmanned drones to map out hotspots within the fire region, and the interim flying ban over the fire has been extended to a complete 24-hour ban.

The Missoula County Sheriff’s Office’s earlier orders for evacuations have been revoked, and there aren’t any more being issued because of the Colt Fire.

For the sake of the general public’s safety, the Lolo and Flathead National Forests have shut down a number of forest routes, gathering spots, and campgrounds.

The Colt Fire, which was started by lightning on July 17, 2023, has 506 personnel assigned to it.