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Fires Continue to Burn on Kootenai National Forest

Fires in Lincoln County continue to burn and send smoke to the Flathead Valley

By Beacon Staff

Unseasonably dry and warm fall weather has allowed the lightning-caused fires in the Goat Rock complex and Marston Fire to continue to burn and send smoke to the Flathead Valley.

The fires in the Goat Rock complex have burned more than 22,000 acres and are located in and around the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness and Scotchman Peaks area. The Marston Fire has burned over 7,000 acres north of Trego.

While some of the fires are continuing to grow slowly, the majority of the burning is in the interior with pockets of fuel burning within the perimeter of the fires, fire managers say. These fires will continue to burn and put up smoke until the area receives significant rain and or snow.

The fires at this time are primarily burning in rough, inaccessible terrain away from private property and homes. Fire managers are continually monitoring the fire growth and activity by aircraft and ground patrol. Also management plans are in place to improve contingency fire lines if the fires begin to move toward private ground and homes. A hotshot crew is securing a portion of the Berray Mountain Fire to keep it from backing downhill any further towards private property.