As of July 26, wildfires have continued to burn west of Big Sky, including the Colt Fire in Lolo National Forest north of Missoula and the Bowles Fire in Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
The Colt Fire is 15 miles northwest of Seeley Lake and started on July 17 due to a lightning strike. As of July 26, the fire spans 4,390 acres and is 0% contained. Personnel plan for a July 29 containment date according to updates on InciWeb from the Incident Commander.
The Bowles Fire is burning southwest of Skalkaho Pass. It began after a lightning storm hit the area and was found on July 20. The wildfire spans 1,663 acres as of July 26.
Air quality in Big Sky, Missoula, and Bozeman remain satisfactory according to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.