A wildfire 4 miles northwest of Libby reached 30 acres in less than three hours Thursday afternoon, potentially threatening power transmission lines and requiring the precautionary deployment of a specially trained and equipped firefighting team as the fire moved to within 1.5 miles of a former vermiculite mine.
Firefighters from Libby Volunteer Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service fought the blaze from the ground, while about half a dozen helicopters and planes, including a so-called very large air tanker, dropped water and retardant from the sky, Libby District Ranger Nate Gassmann reported at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
“We’re giving it everything we have,” he said, noting that additional resources, including a 20-person hotshot crew, were on order and expected later in the evening or by Friday morning.
The fire, reported on the north side of Route 37 about 4 p.m., “saw significant growth” in its first half hour, Gassmann said.