State and federal firefighters were dispatched across Montana this week as large fires continue to burn in the state.

It’s been noticeable, too — tanker aircraft have been jetting in and out of Helena Regional Airport this week and some Montana communities have dealt with localized smoke.

In Bozeman, Bridger Aerospace, a company founded by Montana Senator Tim Sheehy, said it has been active on a fire near Big Sky, the company said in a Thursday press release.

“From Los Angeles in January to Montana in August, wildfires are now a year-round threat,” said Sam Davis, CEO of Bridger Aerospace, in a release. “At Bridger, our team works tirelessly to stay prepared for when the next call comes in. A decade ago, we started out with a single plane. Today, we operate a world-class fleet of specialized aircraft to gather real-time data on wildfires, map them out, and extinguish them. We are proud to provide air support for firefighters on the ground, and to do our part in protecting lives, property, and the environment from wildfires.”

Here’s an update on some of the large fire incidents across the state.

Bivens Creek and Cloudrest

Two fires burning in the Tobacco Root mountains continued to grow this week, both with 0 percent containment, according to a Friday morning news release.

Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 6 is managing both fires, which are burning about 15 miles northwest of Virginia City.

The focus is currently on the Bivens Creek fire, which was listed at 2,219 acres on Friday morning. The nearby Cloudrest fire was listed at 1,733 acres. Acreages can change — usually due to overhead imaging of a fire, which provides more accurate mapping — but those flights do not usually happen every day.

Fire crews were looking to protect residences in South Meadow Creek and areas south of the Bivens Creek incident. Crews were looking to strengthen fire lines on the west side of that fire and aerial resources were being used in that area. Firefighters were using bulldozers on the east side of the fire and were hopeful to make progress in that area on Friday.

There were 392 personnel assigned to the Bivens Creek fire and 48 on the Cloudrest fire. On the Cloudrest fire, crews were looking to protect a community south of that blaze. Winds, which were mostly pretty calm statewide this week, were a concern for the two Madison County fires.

“By utilizing the natural features of the rocky terrain, firefighters will continue constructing fire line connecting these features to prevent spread down the valley towards homes and the community of Pony,” a press release for the fire stated. “Fire crews will scout and identify new primary and secondary control lines in the Indian Creek drainage, where the fire made some headway yesterday.”

Friday’s situation report from the National Interagency Fire Center showed the Bivens and Cloudrest fires as costing nearly $5 million combined to suppress to date. Fire costs are shared by state and federal governments and are divided at the end of the year.

Windy Rock and Devil Mountain

Two fires burning 15 miles northeast of Drummond were listed at 1,957 acres and 0 percent contained Friday.

The state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s County Assist Team is managing both fires as one incident. There were 366 personnel assigned to the fire on Friday, including four helicopters and 11 engines. It has cost about $4.6 million to suppress so far, according to the daily national fire briefing.

Air tankers were dispatched to the fire, with a Friday morning briefing saying they were effective ​​in limiting spread to the northwest of the Devil Mountain Fire. This allowed ground crews to move in for direct suppression efforts on Friday.

The fires were lightning caused, burning timber and grass, mainly lodgepole and mixed conifer at higher elevations. There’s a heavy dead and down timber component and no recorded fire history in the area, a fire briefing said. It also described some fire behavior as “extreme.”

Knowles

Burning six miles east of Paradise, the Knowles fire was listed at 2,075 acres and 0 percent containment.

That fire is being managed by Northern Rockies Incident Command Team 9. There were 236 personnel on the fire, but getting aerial resources “continues to be challenging due to escalating demands across the region.”

Residences are threatened and Sanders County has an pre-evacuation notice for residents in the McLaughlin area.

“The northwestern corner is being assessed for options to insert more crews and equipment to establish control lines,” a press release from the fire said. “There is still direct action to protect the residences on that side of the fire.”

The fire started in grass and moved to timber. It’s cost about $1.8 million to suppress.

Sandbar 2

A lightning-caused fire 15 miles east of Lincoln was at 242 acres and 0 percent containment on Friday.

There were 131 people assigned to the Sandbar 2 fire and it is being managed by Northwest Complex Incident Management Team 8. Helicopters were involved in fire efforts, a release for the fire said.

No evacuation levels are currently in effect for the fire, which is burning through timber. Crews were busy laying down hoses and strengthening lines around the fire. That fire was listed as having cost about $900,000 to suppress to date.

Corral Creek

A fire managed by Lolo National Forest and burning six miles southwest from Frenchtown was listed at 221 acres and 0 percent containment.

It was discovered on Aug. 20, according to fire officials.

Progress on the fire was made Thursday, though windy conditions were a concern on Friday. Dozer lines and hand crews were working on the southern and western flanks of the fire.

West Fork

A 421-acre fire discovered on Aug. 19 was under investigation and 5 percent contained on Friday. It’s being managed by the Forest Service and 47 people are working the fire.

The fire does not pose a threat to Big Sky, a media release said, and is located 23 miles northwest of West Yellowstone in Custer Gallatin National Forest near the Beaver Creek Forest Service cabin.

Hebgen Lake was being used for firefighting efforts and the Forest Service warned people to stay away and not use drones. Drones are illegal to fly in areas of active firefighting because the risk mid-air collisions and crashes.

Trail and road closures are in effect for the area. Firefighters were staging structure protection equipment, a release said.