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Fire crews on Colt Fire have continued beating out flames to add containment lines and stop the spread of the to the east. The fire was mapped at 6,680 acres the evening of Aug. 1, and only increased 156 acres from the day prior. The fire is now 19% contained — all along Colt Creek Road. The high level of containment has triggered Missoula County Sheriff’s Office to cancel the evacuation order from mile markers 27 to 31 on Highway 83. There is still an evacuation warning for the area, and oth...
United States Congressman Ryan Zinke met with firefighters at Lake Alva on July 31, discussing both the growing Colt Fire and the push to boost wildland firefighter funding. Rep. Zinke came to the Lake Alva Campsite as the blaze reached 6,177 acres on July 30 - one of the largest in Montana. The fire has been burning in heavy dead and downed timber since July 17, and could be a long-term threat as temperatures rise in August. "We need to manage our forests, not let them burn to the ground," Zink...
The Swan Valley Community Council made the main topic of its July 18 meeting about recent home appraisals, focusing on what people should do with steep tax increases for property around the Swan Valley. Michelle Staples from the Montana Department of Revenue was the main speaker for the meeting, going over the basics of taxes and answering questions from area residents. “Property taxes are an 18-month process,” Staples said. “We do a lot to assess value and make sure that it is accurate with the market.” Staples said property is divided...
A Seeley Lake man who killed a woman while driving under the influence changed his plea to guilty to four felonies and one misdemeanor in Missoula County District Court on Tuesday, July 18. Kerry Glen Drew, 68, was charged with vehicular homicide while under the influence, negligent vehicular assault, criminal endangerment and criminal possession of dangerous drugs — all felonies. Drew was also charged with misdemeanor vehicular assault. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dropped one felony charge for tampering with physical e...
The Colt Fire went from 15 acres Wednesday morning to the largest in Montana by Friday night, burning heavy fuels and encroaching into private land. The strike was started by lightning on July 17. Firefighters from the Forest Service and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conversation did initial attack on the blaze, holding it to dead lodgepole stands and limited tree torching. After two days of smoking out heavy dead and downed lodgepole pines, the fire took off on Thursday, quick...
Warmer temperatures and swift winds are expected to increase Colt Fire activity on Sunday, July 30, while fire managers race to get around the fire with containment lines first. The Colt Fire was last measured at 5,475 acres on July 29. No acreage update was available for Sunday, but officials reported some fire growth. Containment now sits at 6%. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for critical fire behavior from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 30. Temperatures in the fire are...
Fire lines on the eastern flank of the fire are holding, giving firefighters on the Colt Fire their first confirmed containment on July 28. The Colt Fire is now 5,252 acres with 3% containment. The fire grew about 315 acres from July 27 Fire crews burned out western sections of Forest Service Road 646 on July 27, containing the flames closest to homes on the northeast side of the fire. Workers on the north side are clearing vegetation from Beaver Creek Road with dozers and hand crews and plan...
The Colt Fire clocked in at 4,937 acres early Thursday morning, July 27. The fire grew by 547 acres over the last two days, and is still 0% contained. Containment efforts could start making headway as fire crews plan to burnout western sections of Forest Service Road 646 to secure the eastern front of the fire. Smoke from the burnout could be visible from Highway 83 on Thursday. The fire is still burning moderately, despite slightly higher temperatures and a lower humidity. On the south side of...
The Colt Fire slowed its pace on Tuesday, July 25, giving firefighters time to prep containment lines and stop the spread of spot fires. There is no acreage update for Wednesday, July 26, as cloud cover prevented infrared flight mapping. Tuesday morning clocked in at 4,390 acres with 0% containment. The growth is likely less than Monday, when a dry cold front helped burn more than 1,000 acres on the day. Fire conditions are expected to be moderate for the rest of the week, with active burning...
The theme of the annual Loon and Fish Festival hinges on its artists, and this year brought one of a kind items and old favorites to the Seeley Lake Foundation Building. The two day festival on July 21 and 22 brought scores of residents and visitors to look at and buy art, hear from a loon expert and get versed on all things fishing. The festival is sponsored by Alpine Artisans and use the profits raised by the art and ice cream sales to fund student scholarships. "It's a huge thing for artists...
A newly-graduated resident of Seeley-Swan High School Grace Mercado has a mural painted on the side of the Chicken Coop with the message to stay away from dangerous drugs, especially methamphetamines. "I decided to work on this project because I knew it was such a good cause, I wanted to make my statement about the project and hopefully help others see this poster and see the horrific impact meth has on someone," Mercado said. Mercado took two tries to paint "Abstract Horrors of Meth's...
Echos of the song "Hallelujah" reverberated off the walls of the Seeley-Swan High School auditorium as two ensembles from Taiwan and Poland serenaded onlookers during the International Choral festival preview last week. The festival, which is held in Missoula, previewed two of the choral groups in Seeley Lake on July 18. Nearly 100 people sat in chairs as the high-level performers belted out traditional and modern songs, each with their own special twist. "Choral is a small but extended network...
A new 70-space RV park in Seeley Lake could be built after several years of planning and multiple applications. David Stewart, represented by IMEG civil engineering (formally known as Territorial Landworks), requested to subdivide roughly 14 acres into three lots and create 70 parking spots. The project was first submitted in 2018, but by different owners according to Missoula County Planner Tim Worley and previous Pathfinder reporting. Worley said the County rarely sees applications for an RV...
Critical fire weather caused the Colt fire to grow by 1,463 acres in the last 24 hours, with the fire beginning to run into containment lines set by fire crews. The fire was at 4,390 acres overnight Monday, July 24, with 0% containment. Containment lines were tested, as winds from Monday's dry cold front pressed the fire onto a two-mile stretch of Forest Service Road 646. The fire managed to burn six acres past the contain line last night. Several spot fires also made it through the indirect...
The fire stood at 2,927 acres Sunday night, a figure that likely exploded on Monday, July 24, after a dry cold front brought dry winds to fan the flames in all directions. A red flag warning for critical fire weather will be in effect until midnight on Monday. Wind gusts could reach 30 m.p.h Monday night, adding power to the fire. Containment lines have been pressures, with radio dispatch reporting spot fires along the south side of Colt Creek Road. Air support is currently grounded with the...
A small wildfire sparked on the east side of Double Arrow Ranch Wednesday evening, July 19, prompting an initial attack by volunteer, Forest Service, and state firefighters. The fire, which started near private land by Grandview Drive, only grew to a quarter of an acre. There is no threat to the public at this time. Incident Commander Donovan Suko said the fire’s cause is unknown. The fire did not grow as fast as it could have thanks to help from a Department of Natural Resources and C...
Forest Service personnel and a large logging company have transformed thousands of acres west of Seeley Lake from thick forests to more fire resistant and healthy stands. Work on the Westside Bypass Good Neighbor Authority picked up again for the summer on July 15. Roughly 4,866 acres will be thinned by next year. The project is roughly halfway complete since starting in 2021, according to Seeley Lake District Ranger Quinn Carver. Timber company WeyerHaeuser, one of the owners of the most...
Keri Neal was sick of sitting in her friend’s car at the north side of Salmon Lake, so she decided to dance. Neal and her friend Jack visited Seeley Lake from Missoula for the day to sunbathe and swim. Although the two come to Seeley each year, the reconstruction of Highway 83 on Salmon Lake Road came as a shock — and a future deterrent. “I think I’ll wait to come back up when all this is done,” Neal said. “I don’t want to have to deal with this again.” Residents and visitors alike have wait...
(Update: 7 a.m. July 24) Infrared scans of the Colt Fire showed the burn at 2,927 acres late Sunday night, with much of the new growth burning to the south. The fire still stands at 0% containment, and could make large gains on Monday as critical fire weather enters the area. The fire has started to approach the West Fork of the Clearwater River near Lake Alva, and Colt Creek Road. Fire managers said in an update on Sunday that crews are building a fire line on Colt Creek Road and Beaver Lake...
Update: Friday, July 21: The Colt Fire reached 99 acres with zero containment Friday morning. *** The Colt Fire northeast of Seeley Lake has grown to roughly 15 acres as of Thursday, July 20, creating a powerful blaze that fire crews hope to knock down before temperatures rise this weekend. The Colt Fire was first reported early Monday morning. It’s about 15 miles northwest of Seeley Lake, and five miles north from Lake Alva. The fire was likely sparked by a lightning strike, according to the F...
During the 2023 Change Your Pace Challenge, The Seeley Lake Community Foundation raised $95,050.81 for 16 local nonprofits, and had its best-ever match fund percentage. The match fund stood at a record $37,795, which meant people’s individual donations were valued more than in years past. “For every dollar somebody donated, they really gave $1.82,” said Claire Muller, the executive director of the Seeley Lake Community Foundation. “It’s really great to see the impact be that high.” Nearly 60 o...
Correction: This story is now correctly updated with the correct name of Missoula District Judge John Larson. The story incorrectly said Don Larson in an earlier version A newly-formed nonprofit launched two separate legal challenges against the state of Montana’s decision to approve an open pit gravel mine last month, setting up potential court dates that could revoke the builder’s permit. Protect the Clearwater is a newly-formed nonprofit with the main purpose of stopping the new gravel min...
Everything seemed to go right last Tuesday after a multitude of people swarmed Seeley Lake for Independence Day. The people of Seeley Lake showed up too, as the annual car show, pancake breakfast, parade and fireworks were highlights of the day. The fireworks show featured two barges instead of one of previous years, according to Tom Browder, one of the organizers behind the Fourth activities. The Seeley parade featured almost 50 floats. Three hours earlier in Condon, there were nearly 30 and a...
Seeley Lake’s only thrift store might just seem like a small retail outlet, but the nonprofit also helps with paying bills and getting teachers’ school supplies, according to its director Mary Newpower. Loving Hearts operates twice a week from its building behind the Mission Bible Fellowship Church. While Newpower is a member of the church, she said Loving Hearts is independently funded, and only focuses on bettering members of the community. “There’s a lot of new people in town that don’t know that we have a benevolence program,” Newpower said...
Some residents’ old bottles and jars will find their way across the Rockies as the Seeley Lake Community Foundation will host a glass recycling event that should save resources while generating money for the local schools. People can donate glass from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 15. It is expected to yield several thousand pounds of glass, according to SLCF Executive Director Claire Muller. The summer pickup also could beat the previous Seeley record of 5,000 pounds of glass collected last September. “I think the word is getting out...
