WISE RIVER — It's a bright, sunny day in Wise River, Montana. But over the mountains to the southwest of town, you can see what might look like a cloud but it’s actually a plume of smoke from the Grouse Fire that began burning on July 25 and has grown to an estimated 800 acres in size.
Officials say that the hot and dry weather that’s coming up this weekend may impact the fire behavior even more in the coming days.
"As the temperature is starting to increase again and dry out, we are expecting increased fire behavior," says Michelle Peterson, the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest's public information officer for the Grouse Fire.
Peterson says steep terrain, downed timber, and wind make the fire difficult to fight but more support is arriving daily for the endeavor and a local restaurant has stepped up to help feed the firefighters as they organize their supply chain.
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"The Wise River Club has been helping feed our crews, and we’re really appreciative of them as we try to get our supply channels engaged," says Peterson.
"We come to cook and feed the machine that puts out the fire," says Billy Terrell, the owner and pit master with the Beached Pig out of Nashville, Tennesse.
Terrell says he hopped on a plane with four other cooks when he got a call for help from Tim Montana, the owner of the Wise River Club. The team is making about 150 meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the wildland firefighters.
"The firefighters will be the first ones to run into the fire to protect whatever is yours when everyone else is running away. You know, the least we can do is feed 'em," says Terrell.
"It is dry, it is hot, and we have a lot of fire season ahead of us and it’s only August 1," says Peterson.
Peterson says the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway as well as campgrounds in the area remain open, but roads and trails to the west of the byway are currently closed.
Peterson asks the public to be on the lookout for fire crews as they work to put out the fire.
