ARLEE - The Big Knife Fire jumped the Big Knife Drainage on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, and has now burned 2,000 acres.
The Big Knife fire was started by lightning on July 24, 2023, and is approximately five miles east of Arlee.
The blaze was "very active," according to fire managers and continues to burn in extremely steep, inaccessible terrain for most equipment.
Crews are continuing to try to flank the fire and help stop the spread toward the valley floor.
Aircraft are flying as conditions allow, although visibility has hindered some air operations.
The Big Knife Fire remains visible from Missoula and throughout the Jocko Valley.
A community meeting for the Big Knife, Noriada, and Mill Pocket fires will be held on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023, at the Arlee Community Center beginning at 6 p.m.
The meeting will be broadcast live on the CSKT Division of Fire Facebook page.
A second community meeting will be held on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, in Elmo with more details to come soon.
Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 3 assumed command of the fire at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 2.
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Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in place across the Flathead Indian Reservation. No campfires are allowed, no smoking outside of vehicles, no operating combustible engines between 1 p.m. and 1 a.m., and no operating vehicles off designated roads and trails.
Visit www.MTFireInfo.org for more fire information from across Montana.
