Indreland Fire Northwest of Missoula Contained, But Not Out

By Kaylee Porter, 7-21-08

A 100-acre grass fire that ignited northwest of Missoula Sunday night near the railroad tracks at Indreland Road, off Highway 93, has been contained, but is not out.

Eight to ten firefighters from Frenchtown and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation will continue to mop up the fire throughout today. It will most likely be a few days before it is declared totally out, however, because the fire crew has to walk the area to ensure none of the grass is still smoldering, Cindy Super, fire prevention coordinator for the DNRC said.

The fire, started by sparks from a passing train, was reported at about 6 p.m. by a homeowner in the area who called 911. It spread quickly through dry grass, but no homes were damaged.

Aided by a helicopter equipped for dropping water, 30 firefighters from the Frenchtown Rural Fire Department, the U.S. Forest Service and the DNRC responded to the fire and a smaller crew worked throughout the night to contain it.

The fire was not unusual Super said, but it does illustrate how easy it is for fires to start and spread if conditions are right.

“It really truly does only take a spark to get something going,” Super said of the dry conditions. “There was nothing extraordinary about the fire’s behavior. It was pretty typical and nothing extreme, which is good, but people need to be aware that if it does get the right fuel it will burn.”