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What a difference a day makes! Monday afternoon the Black Mountain Fire northwest of Lincoln, Mont., was actively burning and producing lots of angry black smoke.

Tuesday the fire experienced much cooler temperatures, lighter winds, and intermittent light rainfall which dampened the fire behavior.

A Type 1 helicopter was utilized again Tuesday to drop water on hot areas of the fire. Heavy equipment began widening an existing mountain bike trail starting at Reservoir Lake. The Bitterroot Hotshots did the same from where the trail connects with Beaver Creek Road. The goal is to both build fire line and to improve firefighter access. 

Meanwhile, the crew of Engine 641 was dispatched to a reported spot fire above Lincoln Ditch Road. They were cold trailing - using hand tools and water sprayed from a backpack pump to cool down the hot spots, then checking to see the hot spots were dead out with their bare hands.

Tuesday’s weather respite will be short lived. Things are expected to be hotter and drier again Wednesday.  More active fire behavior is anticipated.

The fire remains estimated at 65 acres. The Pine Grove Campground remains closed. A Forest Closure order is anticipated on Wednesday. 

The public can help the firefighting effort by staying out of the area and being aware of increased emergency vehicle traffic on area roads and highways.

Information will be updated on the Helena-Lewis and Clark Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/HLCNF and on InciWeb at 

https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mthlf-black-mountain