As of this morning the fire was estimated to be approximately 174 acres and continues to burn in timber and brush. There are several residences located a few miles to the east of the fire.
“We are using a full suppression strategy to try and contain the fire as quickly as possible,” said Acting District Ranger Erin Fryer. “We have three helicopters on scene focusing on the east flank of the fire to create a line between the fire and the residences.”
Forecasts through Tuesday show a pattern of hot and dry weather conditions with winds up to 20 mile per hour. Multiple resources are on scene from the Montana DNRC, Broadwater County Rural Fire Department and the Forest Service. A Type III team was in-briefed this morning at 10:30 a.m. under Incident Commander Marc Hamlen.
Traffic on Highway 12, east of Townsend, has been restricted to one lane for public safety. Folks are advised to avoid the area or take an alternate route if possible. If travelling through the Deep Creek Canyon area plan to travel slowly, expect delays, and watch for rolling debris from the fire just north of the highway. No closures or evacuation notices have been issued at this point. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
