Crews tackle small fire on Nine Mile

Missoula Current

Six engines and a hand crew have been assigned to a small fire burning 10 miles south of Tarkio in the Nine Mile Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest.

Boyd Hartwig, public information officer for the Lolo National Forest, said the Deer Creek fire started on Sunday and is approximately 16 acres in size. The fire is located just east of Fish Creek Road.

Hartwig said the fire became inactive late Sunday as temperatures dropped and the area became shaded. The fire is burning in a creek bottom in heavy fuels and grass.

Road access to the fire area is good, Hartwig said, which is helping suppression efforts. No structures or property is currently threatened, and no road areas have been announced.

Hartwig said fire crews will focus on removing snags along the fire perimeter so line construction can begin. The cause of the fire has not been determined, though Hartwig said it was being investigated.