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Wildfire

Fire Burning West of Polson

Firefighting personnel have been dispatched to a fire burning about 10 miles west of Polson

By Mike Kordenbrock
The Garceau Fire burns hillsides about 10 miles west of Polson on August 16, 2022. The fire ignited on August 16 and is estimated to be over 100 acres in size. Photo courtesy of David LeCompte

Firefighting personnel have been dispatched to a fire burning about 10 miles west of Polson, according to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Division of Fire.

Speaking at about 4 p.m., C.T. Camel, a fire information officer with CSKT Division of Fire, said the fire was estimated to be at over 100 acres in size, and moving to the east, and at the time there had been no evacuations, and the fire was less than two hours old.

“It’s in the early stages,” Camel said.

The fire is believed to be burning in an area similar to where the West Garceau Fire burned in 2012, according to Camel. The West Garceau Fire began in mid-August in 2012, and eventually grew to over 9,000 acres in size.

Last week interagency fire managers in northwest Montana declared most of the region to be in “Very High” fire danger, indicating that fires may easily start from all causes, and can spread rapidly in size and intensity after ignition. Sanders County, Lake County and the Flathead Indian Reservation are in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions.

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