SEELEY LAKE - Crews are continuing to battle a 15-acre wildfire that's burning outside of Seeley Lake.
The lightning-sparked Colt Fire is burning in dense timber with heavy dead and down fuels northwest of Colt Lake, approximately 15 miles northwest of Seeley Lake.
The blaze was started by lightning that came through the area on Monday, July 17, 2023 and was detected the following morning.
Fire managers report crews are working the perimeter of the fire with chainsaws to create a break in fuels and are being helped by aerial resources committed to the fire.
The Montana Department of Natural Resouces and Conservation (DNRC) reports there is active torching and burning.
The Bitterroot Interagency Hotshot crew, four engines, a Type 2 Initial Attack DNRC hand crew, and U.S. Forest Service personnel are working the fire.
Four helicopters, two CL-215 “Super Scoopers” from Idaho, and a pair of single-engine air tankers are also working at the Colt Fire.
The area remains under "high" fire danger.
There are no structures threatened, no evacuations in place, and there are no closures at this time.
Fire managers are asking people to avoid the Beaver Lake and Colt Lake areas where crews are actively working.
