HELENA- Officials on two wildfires burning outside Helena say containment on the fires grew on Thursday.
The Shellrock Fire has burned 375 acres on or around the Beartooth Wildlife Management area about 25 miles north of Helena.
Thursday’s operations included cooling hot spots with water from helicopters, addressing spot fires and working on strengthening fireline ahead of predicted Red Flag conditions. Fire managers said Friday morning the fire is now 20 percent contained.
More heavy equipment is due to arrive on the fire Friday afternoon.
Three helicopters, two 20-person hand crews, and 14 smokejumpers have also been assigned to the fire. No structures are threatened. The Beartooth WMA remains closed due to the fire.
Fire managers on the Trail 467 Fire southeast of Lincoln say that fire is now 50 percent contained.
Officials say fire activity was minimal Thursday allowing crews to make significant improvements to the fire line and mop up a portion of the fire.
Firefighters will continue to work on building fire line ahead of the predicted fire weather and say helicopters and air-tankers are available should the fire become active.
The size of the Trail 467 Fire has been downgraded to just 23 acres. Numerous closures remain in place in the area around the fire.
Shellrock Fire; Courtesy: Inciweb/DNRC
