Firefighters were bracing for strong winds and the sheriff’s department ordered more evacuations in the area of a western Montana fire that destroyed 14 homes and may have contributed to a man’s death, officials said.
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Access to the Bitterroot River was temporarily closed this morning from Wally Crawford Fishing Access Site to Angler’s Roost because of the Roaring Lion Fire which is burning southwest of Hamilton. Within an hour, the fire began to encroach on homes in the area and now about 500 homes have been evacuated.
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for Tuesday, from noon to 9 p.m., for a cold front expected to bring gusty winds and low humidity readings. The fire started yesterday afternoon and the cause is still unknown.
The latest information on the fire can be obtained by calling 406-363-0484 or 406-241-4338. “We can rebuild homes”.
The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office has also expanded the area being covered by the Stage 1 Alert and Warning has been added for the areas west of Westbridge Road from North Canyon Drive west and north – including both sides of Blodgett Camp Road continuing to the Blodgett Campground and including Canyon Creek Road. An air tanker and at least one helicopter were being used to fight the fire.
The fire has been so intense that volunteer firefighters were forced to fall back several times, Hamilton Fire Chief Brad Mohn said. Firefighters are planning to work through the night to protect the around 500 homes in the evacuation zones.
The blaze that broke out July 22 has destroyed 57 homes and is threatening 2,000 structures.
About 50 miles north, a wildfire in the scenic Poodle Mountain Wilderness Study Area has burned almost 8 square miles.
Cole said winds are expected to be at about 10 to 15 miles per hour, with gusts up to 30 miles per hour Wednesday.
Containment of the fires was estimated at about 40 percent.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says about 300 people were under evacuation orders from homes just outside the Sierra National Forest.
McKay told NBC Montana there has not been any lightning in the area.
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“I went to a single family fire was my first assignment, and the woman there had lost everything”.
