The Latest: Fire north of Helena grows to about 100 acres

HELENA, Mont. – The Latest on Montana wildfires (all times local):

11:33 a.m.

Officials say a wildfire burning north of Helena has grown to around 100 acres (40 hectares).

Lewis and Clark County Emergency Management officials said Saturday a bulldozer line has been built around the fire and aircraft continue to drop fire retardant, but no containment level has been established.

State and federal crews made an aggressive attack on the fire north of Lake Helena on Friday, using three air tankers and two helicopters.

Residents of about 100 homes north of Lake Helena remained evacuated Saturday.

Sheriff Leo Dutton has said investigators believe the fire was human-caused.

Meanwhile, a burnout has increased the size of a lightning-caused fire on the Flathead Indian Reservation from less than a square mile on Friday to 7.5 square miles (19 square kilometres) on Saturday.

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9:45 a.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning in Montana for conditions that could cause wildfires to start or spread quickly.

The warning for strong winds and low humidity is in effect for north-central Montana Saturday afternoon and evening while dry thunderstorms and breezy winds are forecast for southwestern Montana.

The warning is in effect across the Hi-Line from Browning to Harlem and south including areas around Great Falls and Lewistown. Areas around Helena, Butte and Dillon could see thunderstorms.

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8:55 a.m.

A small wildfire led to the evacuation of about 100 homes north of Helena while fire crews halted work on a blaze in southwestern Montana after crews found unexploded artillery shells.

Fire managers made an aggressive attack on a fire north of Lake Helena on Friday, using three air tankers and two helicopters. However, when the winds shifted Lewis and Clark County officials ordered the evacuations in an area north of the lake and west of the Missouri River.

South of Bannack State Park, firefighters were pulled off a lightning-caused fire Friday after the unexploded shells were found within the fire’s boundaries. The Beaverhead County sheriff’s office and the Lewis and Clark County ordinance team removed the shells and were searching for others.

Other fires are burning on the Flathead Indian Reservation and north of Missoula.