The Frenchtown Rural Fire District responded to a total of 10 small fires on Friday, reportedly caused by a Montana Rail Link 'grinder train'.

Frenchtown Fire spokesman Mel Holtz said most of the fires were contained to railroad ties, but others spread to nearby dry grasses.

"We've been pretty busy with some wildland starts because of that (grinder train)," Holtz said. "Most of them have been single railroad ties that were on fire, but today, with the heat and the extremely dry conditions, they actually started two grass fires."

Holtz looks ahead to the coming week with temperatures remaining in the mid to upper 90's.

"Monday they'll assess the conditions out here, and make a decision as tio whether we're moving to 'very high'," he said. "We're currently in high fire danger but, with no relief in sight, it could be getting even more dry out there."

Holtz said no one was injured in the fires that were called in to 9-1-1 by drivers in Interstate 90 near Frenchtown.

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