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Lightning-Caused Fires Take Off Near Libby

The Weigel and Dunn fires have burned more than 200 acres in Lincoln County

By Justin Franz

Updated Aug. 13, 11:45 a.m.

Firefighters are set for another day battling two new lightning-caused fires in Lincoln County.

The Weigel Fire has burned 120 acres of land about 24 miles northeast of Libby since it started on Tuesday. The fire is burning in heavy timber and smokejumpers were sent in Wednesday to try to contain it.

Because of the fire’s rapid growth, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is bringing in a Type II incident management team to fight the fire.

East of Libby, the Dunn Fire has burned about 80 acres of land near Fisher River. Officials say despite its initial growth on Tuesday, the fire has slowed and is staying on a ridge top. A Type III incident management team is fighting the fire.

Hot temperatures and dry conditions will complicate firefighting efforts for much of the week. The National Weather Service in Missoula is predicting lightning storms and temperatures into the upper 90s. The weather service has issued a fire weather watch for Friday.

This story will be updated when more information becomes available.