Skillet Fire Containment Advances | Butte News

The Skillet Fire in the Flathead National Forest is still active but gaining control as crews reinforce containment lines, deploy drones around hazardous dead trees, and battle heat pockets with hose lines. A leadership transition is underway to keep operations seamless, while warmer temps may nudge fire behavior slightly higher. Smoke will linger, but evacuation orders have been downgraded to warnings for some zones—though forest closures remain strict, limiting access to residents only. Started July 29th amid heavy timber, the blaze now covers 3,400 acres with 55% containment. Despite setbacks like lightning forcing evacuations, progress continues across all fronts, aided by heavy equipment improving ground access. Safety remains top priority—with checkpoints still active and returning residents urged to stay alert as firefighting efforts persist. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/3486f985a7cb6afb