Evacuations ordered, areas closed for 900-acre wildfire east of Eureka
This screenshot taken from maps.nwcg.gov 11 a.m. Tuesday shows the location of the wildfire east of Eureka. (Photo courtesy National Fire Situational Awareness website)
The area denoted by the red hatch marks is what the Forest Service has closed to public use. (Photo courtesy the Forest Service)
Updated 8:05 p.m.
A wildfire touched off by lightning east of Eureka Monday night has caused evacuations to be ordered, pre-evacuations to be prepared and various areas to be closed, according to posts to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page published Tuesday.
According to a 1:45 p.m. post, the fire had grown to about 1400 acres and was “being managed by the air,” though at 8 p.m. an InciWeb web page and a Kootenai Interagency Dispatch Center web page both listed the size of the fire at 900 acres and the Sheriff’s Office post had been updated to reflect that information.
“A Type II Team will be arriving tonight and should be operational tomorrow morning.” the post states.
The American Red Cross of Montana announced Tuesday morning it has opened a shelter for evacuees at the First Church of God at 1295 2nd Ave. E. in Eureka.
The Sheriff’s Office earlier noted on its Facebook page that evacuations were issued early Tuesday for Sherman Creek Road, Griffith Creek Road, Therriault Creek Road, North Stevens Creek Road and Graves Creek Road.
In a 9:15 a.m. Facebook post, the Sheriff’s Office states “pre-evacuations are currently being prepared for and will be served” for East Glenn Lake Road to Stevens Road.
“A fire information center is currently in the making,” the post states. “We will update, as information comes available.”
Shortly after noon, the Sheriff’s Office posted that the Forest Service had closed the Ten Lakes Scenic area, that Graves Creek was closed at the Therriault Pass intersection, and that Flathead County was closing the eastern boundaries of Ten Lakes area at the Tuchuk Campground on Lewis Creek.
The Sheriff’s Office reported the wildfire’s location to be in North East Canyon above Hood Drive. According to a Kootenai National Forest news release sent 12:15 p.m., the wildfire was in the area of Gibralter Ridge.
Tuesday afternoon, the Kootenai National Forest announced it had closed “lands, roads, trails and recreation sites in the vicinity of the Gibralter Ridge Fire ... to public use and travel due to current fire activity.”
At 3 p.m., Lincoln County Commissioner Mike Cole, who represents the Eureka district, estimated that the evacuation orders might have affected about 100 people. He reported that smoke was making it difficult to see the mountains from the valley.
The “big concern,” he said, was whether winds would pick up later Tuesday.
In addition to providing its free services to all evacuees, the American Red Cross of Montana news releases states “there is a dog park near the shelter for clients’ dogs, and the shelter staff have a list of people volunteering to help haul livestock to safe areas if evacuees request that assistance.”
The local fairgrounds is also open to accommodate animals, the news release states.
Livestock can be taken to the County Fair Grounds in Eureka and smaller animals and pets can be taken to the Tobacco Valley Animal Shelter, according to the wildfire’s InciWeb page at noon.
People who wish to donate to the Red Cross to help people during wildfire disasters can visit redcross.org/montana, call 800-272-6668 or mail contributions to American Red Cross of Montana, 1300 28th Street South, Great Falls, MT 59405.