Strong winds have pushed the 9,500-acre
American Fork Fire west, leading to pre-evacuation warnings for the Shields River and Smith Creek communities.
Fire Operations Section Chief Shawn Nagle says residents should consider evacuating even though it’s not mandatory.
“It’s pre-evac conditions right now; that’s the order. But if you do have the opportunity to evacuate and you are in that area it would help out down the road for the safety of all,” Nagle says.
The fire is 10% contained. Crews are also working on spot fires near the South Fork and American River, according to InciWeb.
Harris Mountain Fire
Yellowstone Public Radio News A man loads logs from the Brooklyn Bridge timber sale south of Helena onto a truck July 22, 2021.
Heading into what has turned out to be a severe fire season, the state of Montana set a goal to more than double the amount of forest acres it logs, controlled burns and treats to reduce the risk of wildfire on communities. This year’s target represents a sliver of the acreage managers say is critical to address.
Gary Ellingson points out a dense forest from the driver’s seat of his truck. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation forester describes the boundaries of a logging project in the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
Polson City Manager Ed Meece on Thursday tagged the word historic onto the list of conditions that led the city to shut off water to 77 homes earlier this week, a measure not taken in recent memory.Â
That s historic temperatures along with historic visitation to the area encircling the mouth of Flathead Lake in Western Montana. Troubling conditions persisted through June and early July, Meece said, prompting Polson s first round of mitigation efforts July 6, right after the largest Fourth of July attendance we ve ever seen. All of this started to play against us and once (the city s water reserves) were down, we just could get them back up, Meece said in a phone interview Thursday.
Gov. Greg Gianforte’s office announced Wednesday that the
Poverty Flats Fire spanning tens of thousands of acres is threatening more than 1,240 homes in and around Crow Agency and Hardin in Big Horn County. It’s also threatening infrastructure, utilities and roads in the area.
According to Brian Mischel, disaster and emergency services coordinator for Big Horn County, the fire is 53,000 acres and growing.
The fire started yesterday in pine and grass. It s 5% contained according to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
Gianforte’s office said in a press release that the state secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the federal government to offset the costs of fighting the fire.
Mont Gov Gianforte Announces Project Agreements for Active Forest Management Across Mont insurancenewsnet.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from insurancenewsnet.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.