Combine sparks 72-acre wildfire in Countryman Creek area Saturday

The summer's first substantial wildfire struck Saturday night when a combine sparked a 72-acre blaze in the Countryman Creek area.
A 911 call at 5:54 p.m. sent fire crews to the Countryman Creek Road area, where the first truck on scene arrived to find a 50 to 60-acre fire in a wheat field headed south to southeast towards Huntley Butte, according to Stillwater County Sheriff's dispatch records. Crews were in mop-up stage by 8:44 p.m.
Columbus Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Nick Jacobs said the fire did not immediately threaten homes. In addition to Columbus Fire Rescue, fire crews from Park City, Absarokee, Nye, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) and Stillwater County road crews responded. Two DNRC helicopters also responded.
It was the ninth fire in five days in Stillwater County. Brush fires occurred in Molt, Fishtail and two in Park City between Tuesday and Friday, according to Stillwater County Sheriff's Office dispatch records. Four more fires were reported Friday including one just outside of Columbus, a lightning strike in Reed Point and a brush fire in Molt.
Stillwater County remains under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions with temperatures expected to remain in the low 90s to upper 80s, despite having received more than normal rain amount for the month, according to the National Weather Service.