MISSOULA — Crews are battling a wildfire southeast of Missoula that has grown to 40 acres.
The Plant Creek fire — which was reported shortly before 2:30 p.m. on Monday — is burning 11 miles up the Miller Creek Road southeast of Missoula on the west side of Plant Creek Road.
The fire is burning in grass, brush, and timber and grew overnight from 12 to 40 acres. Firefighters are focusing on establishing a containment line around the eastern and southern flanks of the fire, north of Miller Creek Road.
There are structures within a ¼ mile of the fire which are considered threatened. However, no evacuations are currently in place. Fire managers plan to temporarily close Plant Creek Road due to firefighting traffic on Tuesday.
“This late-season wildfire is evidence that fires can still start and spread rapidly even in mid-October,” stated Missoula District Ranger Jen Hensiek. “We thank our partners for the coordinated interagency response as we continue to suppress this fire and we urge all to use caution and recreate responsibly.”
Smoke may be visible from Missoula, the Missoula Valley, parts of I-90, Highway 93, parts of the Bitterroot Valley, and the Miller Creek area.
The US Forest Service, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), Missoula City Fire, and the Missoula Rural Fire District all responded to the scene.
