WEST YELLOWSTONE (AP)
A fast-moving wildfire near here forced evacuations at some summer homes, a campground, a resort and some stateowned buildings Wednesday night. The Madison Arm Fire was detected at about 1 p.m. Wednesday and had grown to 877 acres by 8 p.m., said Marna Daley, a spokeswoman for the Gallatin National Forest. The fire was burning near the Madison Arm of Hebgen Lake, about two miles south of the Madison Arm Resort. Evacuations were ordered at the resort, Baker's Hole Campground, Baker's Hole Summer Homes, Lake Shore Summer Homes, and a state game warden compound, Daley said. She did not immediately know how many homes were affected. The West Yellowstone Airport and an area smokejumper base were on "preevacuation" alert. A portion of U.S. Highway 191 from West Yellowstone to the U.S. Highway 287 junction, also was shut down temporarily because of the blaze. The road was reopened by 8:30 p. m., a spokeswoman for the West Yellowstone Police Department said. Daley said the fire, which was burning in sagebrush and timber, grew explosively in just a few hours. Crews had been expected to continue working on the blaze throughout the night. "If traveling in this area, please drive carefully since smoke could limit visibility," Daley said.
