Lolo National Forest

Forest officials have closed Kreis Pond on the Ninemile Ranger District to give game wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks  an opportunity to locate and trap a black bear that has been frequenting the area.

The Missoula Ranger District is hoping to start on some prescribed burning up Blue Mountain tomorrow.

Weather permitting, the Nine Mile Ranger District is planning two prescribed burns for Wednesday and Thursday, October 8 and 9.

Firefighters are responding to a lightning caused fire on Saturday not far from the Bitterroot Flat Campground in the Missoula Ranger District.

Two separate wildfires were discovered in the Nine Mile area west of Missoula and near Clinton, east of Missoula on Thursday.

Smoke visible coming from west of Missoula is the result of several prescribed burns being conducted by the Nine Mile Ranger District.

UPDATE - Saturday, August 31, 10:30 a.m. According to a news release from the Missoula City Fire Department, the grass fire Friday night was caused by a lightning strike that struck a Northwest Energy power line. It appears that the lightning struck a cross member near the top of the pole and caught fire, dropping embers to the ground, catching the grass on fire. The fire is estimated to be about

The Schoolhouse Fire burning near Highway 12 about 20 miles from Lolo is putting up smoke that is visible from Missoula.

The Gold Creek Fire, burning about 15 miles northeast of Missoula is holding steady at about 175 acres, and has been declared 40% contained.

Inciweb reports that firefighters are responding to a new fire approximately 17 miles northeast of Missoula and three miles east of Boulder Lake in the Gold Creek area on the Missoula Ranger District.

UPDATE - Tuesday, July 16, 8:00 a.m. Movement by the West Mullan Fire burning not far from Superior has caused more evacuations, according to fire information officer Pat McKelvey. "There were some more evacuations ordered overnight in the West Mullan Road area," McKelvey said. "The fire burned down the slope towards those homes." McKelvey said traffic is becoming a problem on

A community group 'Supporters of a Public Bitterroot Resort' announced Thursday that the U. S. Forest Service has once again rejected their proposal to build a world-class resort near Lolo.