Fort Belknap fire 95 percent contained

A fire at the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation that exploded in high winds Wednesday was 95 percent contained as of Thursday morning, said Byard Lamebull, acting fire management officer for Fort Belknap.

No livestock or homes burned in the fire, he said. The fire did burn 400 tons of hay at one ranch, Fort Belknap said.

The wind has died down considerably today and is expected to be 5 mph with gusts up to 10 mph out of the northwest.

The fire started eight miles east of the community of Fort Belknap and high winds drove it 5 to 6 miles. At it’s widest, the fire was a mile wide, Lamebull said.

Multiple agencies responded and livestock needed to be moved out of the path of the flames.

Lamebull said the fire burned at least 2,000 acres but fire managers still were working on a more accurate estimate.

The cause of the fire is under investigation but it’s likely human-caused because no lightning was reported Wednesday, Lamebull said.

Fire engines from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, and Rocky Boy’s reservations remained on the fire Thursday.

Wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph were report across northcentral Montana Wednesday and higher closer to the Rocky Mountain Front.