Driven by high temperatures and clouding the valley with smoke, a wildfire four miles northeast of Condon has more than doubled in size in recent days, growing from 47 acres to 103 by Wednesday.
The Condon Mountain Fire continues to burn actively and crews were expecting the fire to make an upslope run this afternoon, according to an announcement Wednesday. Crews from the Flathead National Forest and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation were able to construct indirect line in Dog Creek and Condon Creek north and south of the fire, respectively, according to forest officials. A 20-person hand crew and helicopter are involved with suppression efforts as well. The terrain is very steep and rocky with high density dead snags.
Increasing temperatures and burning conditions pushed the fire into Simpson Creek Drainage. Fire behavior is expected to increase throughout the week, particularly in the afternoon and early evening burning periods.
The Elbow Pass Fire Complex has burned more than 15,000 acres in both the Flathead and Lewis and Clark national forests.
The Prisoner Lake Fire, 25 miles east of Condon, has grown slightly in the last 48 hours. Currently listed at 3,410, the fire still has a high growth potential, according to fire officials. Fire activity increased Wednesday on the north flank with group and single tree torching. Some short range spotting is occurring.