Elmo 2 Fire now 13,000 acres; winds expected this afternoon

Nearly 300 firefighters have converged on the Flathead Reservation to battle the unconfined Elmo 2 Fire that has charred nearly 13,000 acres in three days west of Flathead Lake.

The John Thompson Northern Rockies Team 7 took command of the fire 8 miles west of Elmo Sunday, utilizing attacks from the air and ground. As of Monday morning no structures were lost and the fire remained in the timber north of Montana 28 and west of Black Lake.

According the the CSKT Division of Fire, Bitterroot Hotshots were working on the northwest portion of the fire, holding and improving existing lines. The efforts were supported by four scooper planes and four single-engine air tankers in the northwest.

On the northeast flank, the Helena Hotshots were working directly on the fire’s edge to the east toward Chief Cliffs estates, while the Idaho Panhandle Hotshots constructed line to the west. Crews engaged directly on the fire’s east edge as well, with the Bitterroot Hotshots and a Type II Initial Attack crew working their way to the north.

Efforts on Monday were to focus on improving fire lines and building new fire lines when possible.

The total estimated cost of firefighting efforts reached $600,000 on Monday. The Elmo 2 Fire is the largest in the state.

Another day of critical fire weather was expected Monday with low humidity levels, temperatures in the mid-90s and winds gusts up to 25 mph in the afternoon.

While temperatures are expected to cool by the middle of the week, conditions will still be ripe for fire, the National Weather Service in Missoula warned.

"The gusty winds coupled with the dry conditions will be a recipe for new and existing wildfires to spread quickly," the Weather Service noted in its daily forecast.

"Forecast models continue to trend away from beneficial monsoonal moisture making it this far north, that were being advertised a few days ago. However, some locations across the area could see some welcome rainfall by this weekend, just not as widespread as previously thought."

Pre-evacuation warnings are still in place for residents south of Lake Mary Ronan Road and west of U.S. 93. Montana 28 reopened over the weekend, but drivers are urged to use caution due to smoke causing low visibility in the area.

Lake Mary Ronan State Park remains closed, along with the Elmo boat ramp.