Update 5:45 p.m. Fire mangers report little activity on the Bacon Rind Fire burning near Big Sky on the Gallatin National Forest. New flights show the fire at 393 acres, up from around 340 acres yesterday, according to the fire's public information officer. Crews are monitoring the fire with an eye on forecasts calling for continued hot, dry weather. Mangers are working on plans for fighting the fire if it moves closer to Highway 191.

Before firefighters entered the Modified Fire Response Zone of the asbestos-contaminated forest near Libby to suppress the Highway 37 Fire, they donned full-face respirators, and recited a poem. "You ready? When the sunlight strikes raindrops in the air, they act like a prism and form a rainbow. The rainbow is a division of white light into many beautiful colors …"

UPDATE 6:00 p.m.: The Wawa wildfire is no longer considered a threat to critical sage grouse habitat on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. Winds have pushed the fire away from grouse habitat and firefighters have taken a more managerial position, allowing it to burn within the control lines the crews put up.

The Bacon Rind Fire , detected Friday evening above the Gallatin Canyon about 20 miles south of Big Sky is now being estimated at 202 acres. It was started by a thunderstorm that moved through the area on July 16. It is burning in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness area about two miles west Highway 191, between Bacon Rind and Snowslide Creeks.

Firefighter safety is of particular concern on the Highway 37 Fire north of Libby because of its proximity to a patch of asbestos-contaminated forest. Among the 50 firefighters working the blaze is a group of 10 specially trained responders. They wear respirators and undergo a full body decontamination after digging fire line in a section of forest with high levels of asbestos fibers, a harmful remnant of the old W.R. Grace vermiculite mine.

Highway 37 fire, updated 4:20 p.m. July 20, 2018 A fire near the former vermiculite mine and a section of asbestos-contaminated forest outside Libby is drawing a quick response from crews working to control it. The Highway 37 Fire, spotted Thursday evening about 4 miles north of Libby, quickly grew to about 50 acres today.

A new estimate puts the Reynolds Lake Fire in the Bitterroot National Forest at more than 1,000 acres. Forest spokesman Tod McKay said the fire grew from 10-15 acres yesterday morning to 1,068 acres by the day’s end. It was pushed by 30 mile-per-hour winds.

Wildfire season has arrived as fire danger ratings are increasing in national forests and wildlands throughout Montana. The Kootenai National Forest moved to "very high" Wednesday, and the Bitterroot National Forest switched to "high" fire danger this morning following the discovery of two lightning-caused fires Tuesday. The Flathead National Forest and surrounding area has also moved their fire danger to “high” this week.

The Zulu fire that it is believed lightning started Sunday in the Kootenai National Forest north of Libby expanded to 20 acres today. Forest spokesman Willie Sykes tells the Flathead Beacon about 80 firefighters and several aircraft are fighting the fire. No structures are threatened.

The Kootenai National Forest is slated to start five salvage timber sales in areas that burned last year, and one more is pending.