Gun Range Fire was a close call as firefighters kept busy Sunday

A wildfire up the North Fork that started near the North Valley Sportsmen Gun Range Sunday afternoon was a very close call, Columbia Falls Fire Chief Karl Weeks said.

The blaze, which burned about an acre, was reported at 2:45 p.m. and grew quickly, crowning into the trees.

Fortunately there were two helicopters in the area on the Hay Creek Fire up the North Fork.

They provided bucket drops on the fire that kept it in check.

“They definitely made the difference,” Weeks said.

While the cause of the blaze remains under investigation, there were people shooting at the range prior to the fire.

It was under control later that day and firefighters were off the scene by 7:09 p.m. A host of other departments provided mutual aid.

There six more calls after that. In one incident, a rig caught fire after it high centered in the grass and while it spun the tires, it started a fire off Highway 2 behind Carquest Auto Parts.

Then when a thunderstorm rolled in, there were multiple calls related to the storm, including trees on powerlines, a carport that blew away and hung up in the telephone lines and trees over the railroad tracks.

At least it came with rain. Since Sunday, there has been .63 inch of rain reported at the airport.