Twenty-three new blazes were born when lightning struck up and down the West Fork and East Fork of the Bitterroot River, said Sue Heald, public affairs officer for the forest.
The largest ignition, now called the Calf Creek fire, is estimated to be around 50 acres, and is adjacent to Highway 93 South near the Sula Ranger Station.
Caution to travelers and commuters: Highway 93 South remains open in that area, but drivers may encounter thick smoke and caravans of firefighting equipment navigating the area.
A few of the other fires were staffed Sunday, such as three smaller blazes near the West Fork Ranger District.
But late Sunday, most of the fires burning in wilderness areas or far from private homes were left unmanned.
"We are still in the process of staffing them up and sizing them up," Heald said. "But we will continue to bring in staff to deal with the fires as we prioritize them."
In Missoula emergency dispatchers were inundated with reports of fire in the Missoula Valley on Sunday. Some callers reported a plume in the area of Rodeo Drive, others reported smoke
coming from the Turah area and near the Maclay Ranch north of Florence.
Turns out, a 3-acre fire on Miller Peak at the edge of last summer's Cooney Ridge fire in the Sapphire Mountains was the source of all the smoke, said Jonathan Hansen, Missoula unit manager for the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
Three helicopters with water buckets were assigned to the fire and worked all afternoon to cool the blaze.
Campers who are gearing up for forest adventures in western Montana should use extra caution with campfires and stay alert for forest fires, Heald said.
"Things are hot and dry,
and people need to be extremely cautious," she said. "Who knows what the future will be. ... But the fire season has arrived."
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