Dry Cabin fire burning in the Scapegoat Wilderness

OVANDO - On Sunday, July 11 at approximately 1:30 p.m., the Dry Cabin Fire was reported and aerial resources were dispatched immediately to size up the fire. The fire is located approximately 20 miles north of Ovando, Montana, in the Scapegoat Wilderness. The aerial reconnaissance flight indicated that the fire was already an estimated 10 acres in size and within the day the fire rapidly grew to 50 acres due to terrain and heavy fuels.

The fire is burning actively and is now estimated to be at 300 acres. The fire is burning in heavy timber near previously burned areas and is currently being managed as a Type 5 incident with local resources. There are no trail closures, but managers may consider future closures for public safety concerns, fire growth and activity. Smoke from this fire is expected to be visible from the surrounding areas.

The Dry Cabin fire is anticipated to be a long-duration incident due to current conditions and firefighting resource availability. Firefighting personnel are already stretched thin across the region due to recent fire activity. The Forest, along with interagency partners, determined to prioritize the limited resources to suppress fires with more immediate life and values at risk and the greatest probability of successful suppression efforts.

Fire managers will be building a longer-term fire management plan which will include portions of the Flathead and Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forests. Management actions will be based on anticipated resources available, the current and predicted fire behavior, and values at risk.

An InciWeb page is established for the Dry Cabin Fire. Please follow the Lolo National Forest on Facebook for updates as well.

Fire Statistics:

Start Date: Dry Cabin fire was detected on July 11, 2021.

Location: 20 miles north of Ovando, MT in the Dry Fork drainage.

Containment: 0%

Size: Approximately 300 acres

Personnel: 5

Closures: None

Smoke: Smoke will be visible from Hwy 200 and the Ovando area.