Fire season is getting underway in northwest Montana: The Magpie Rock Fire 8 miles west of Dixon tripled in size since Tuesday, and is now estimated at 1,000 acres.

Firefighters remain on scene at the roughly 300-acre Magpie Rock Fire. Located near Dixon on the Flathead Indian Reservation, the fire was 0% contained Tuesday morning.

The fire danger rating was moved to "high" Monday for the Flathead National Forest, Glacier National Park and the whole of Flathead County. The announcement came from an interagency group of local, state and federal officials. The interagency press release said the move to high fire danger comes as the area is dry enough to ignite easily and has high potential for fire spread.

A large wildfire burning southwest of Broadus in Powder River County in southeast Montana tripled in size overnight. The Buffalo Fire is now 15,000 acres and is threatening 12 structures.

Fire crews, 9 engines and 14 overhead units are trying to control the 5,000 acre Buffalo Fire burning southwest of Broadus in Powder River County. It took less than four hours yesterday for that fire to explode from 200 acres to 2,500. The fire is so explosive it created its own supercell with its own smoke plume and lightning.

A 20-man crew along with air-support is attacking the 345 acre Clear Creek Fire on the Flathead Indian Reservation near Perma, MT. The fire is 60 percent contained. The incident is still under investigation, but is believed to have been started by rock quarry equipment. No structures are threatened. Weather in the area is expected to be hot and windy with gusts up to 20 miles per hour in the afternoon.

As the number of coronavirus cases in Montana rise, public health officials and researchers say smoke from the upcoming wildfire season could make people more susceptible to catching the virus, and make patient outcomes much more deadly.

Environmental groups are suing the Bitterroot National Forest over a proposed project that calls for about 5,600 acres of commercial logging. The Gold Butterfly project would take place on about 7,300 acres. It includes non-commercial thinning and about 4,800 acres of prescribed burns.

Missoula’s recent warm and dry conditions have prompted officials to push local fire danger from low to moderate. According to the Missoula County Fire Protection Association that means outdoor debris burning season closes June 7.

Fire officials say they now know how a wildfire started last weekend roughly 13 miles south of Helena.