Wildfire near Cardwell subsides after air drops, cooler weather

A wildfire on Doherty Mountain near Cardwell subsided Wednesday and firefighters were hopeful it could be knocked out soon.

Air tankers dropped several loads of retardant along the fire’s edges Tuesday, slowing its forward progression, and cooler temperatures and cloud cover helped conditions Wednesday. The fire had burned about 110 acres.

The wildfire on Doherty Mountain near Cardwell as shown by an aerial photo Wednesday, courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service.

Provided by U.S. Forest Service

Helicopter reconnaissance showed fire no fire spots outside of retardant lines Wednesday, smoke was light, and crews hoped they could finish the fire off and leave within the next few days, Matt Larson, incident commander in training, told The Montana Standard at the scene.

Eighty to 90 crew members were working the fire Wednesday, and engines from the U.S. Forest Service and Montana DNRC assisted. Helicopters and an air tanker were also deployed after the fire was discovered Tuesday.

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