Black Canyon Fire sparks over weekend in area of Smith River

A wildland fire about 30 miles equidistant from White Sulphur Springs and Cascade started on Saturday afternoon and had burned just over 350 acres on Monday.

The Black Canyon Fire, first reported around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, is burning 31 miles southeast of Cascade and around 30 miles northeast of White Sulphur Springs in the area of the Smith River.

The fire so far is located on private land, according to reports published on InciWeb , and the Montana DNRC County Assist Team took over command of the fire on Sunday.

As of Monday morning, there are no closures or evacuations in place in the area. The structure protection group is assessing the risk to structures in the area and fire crews are also working along the switchback road to check for hotspots along the fire’s edge, the report states.

Firefighters are building hand lines while working north and west and a direct line on the eastern slope of the Black Canyon Fire.

On Monday morning, officials posted on InciWeb that the fire potentially could spread to the northeast and cross the river onto U.S. Forest Service land.

This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Black Canyon Fire sparks over weekend in area of Smith River