Colt Fire breaks through containment line section, public meeting in Seeley for Tuesday evening

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 containment line, and are edging closer towards Rainy Lake. One spot fire appears to sit less than 1,000 feet from the lake, according to fire maps.

No homes have been lost, but there are a couple structures near the broken fire line. The structure protection group is divided into two sections: the north group protecting homes in Summit Park, and the south group preparing hoses and fire lines on the east side of Lake Inez.

The cold front brought colder temperatures and higher humidity levels, but winds are still projected to be 9 to 16 miles an hour Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Aircraft are also planned to return to the fire, pending safe flying conditions.

No new evacuation orders have been made since Saturday, when Missoula County Sheriff's Office alerted those on the west and south of Lake Inez of an evacuation warning. All orders and warnings, which include Summit Park and Beaver Lake, are still in effect.

There will be a public meeting with fire managers Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the Seeley Lake Elementary School Gym. The public will get a briefing and have the opportunity to ask questions. The meeting will also be live streamed on the Colt Fire Facebook page. There will also be a public meeting for Condon at 7 p.m. on July 26 in the Condon Community Center.