Evacuations ordered after prescribed burn flares

Evacuations ordered after prescribed burn flares

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The Lewis and Clark County sheriff's office evacuated residences along a mountain road in southwestern Montana Thursday afternoon when high winds caused a prescribed burn in the Helena National Forest to be declared a wildfire.

Forest spokeswoman Kathy Bushnell said the wind kicked up around 1 p.m., driving the fire on Stemple Pass beyond the boundaries of the controlled burn. Stemple Pass is northwest of Helena and a column of smoke could be seen from Helena.

The Lewis and Clark County sheriff's office was evacuating residences along Stemple Pass Road from the top of the Continental Divide down to Highway 279, known as the Lincoln Road. Some of the residences are recreational cabins.

Sheriff Leo Dutton said some people refused to leave.

Winds blowing 30 to 35 mph were pushing the fire north in the Virginia Creek area.

"If it keeps burning to the north, we're going to have to do a lot more evacuations," Dutton said. "We've got a cold front coming in. The forecast is not looking good," because of increased winds coming with the cold front.

The prescribed burn was started Wednesday. The fire had burned an estimated 100 to 200 acres by 3 p.m. Thursday, Bushnell said.

The National Weather Service had issued a fire weather watch on Tuesday afternoon and upgraded it to a red flag warning on Wednesday afternoon due to a forecast calling for high temperatures, high winds and low humidity.

"The burn plans are very specific and they were within those specific prescriptions for this plan yesterday" when the fire was set, Bushnell said Thursday.

The controlled burn was being done to reduce fuel loads. Trees in the area have been killed by mountain pine beetles and spruce budworm.

HELENA (AP) — The Lewis and Clark County sheriff's office evacuated residences along a mountain road in southwestern Montana Thursday afternoon when high winds caused a prescribed burn in the Helena National Forest to be declared a wildfire.

Forest spokeswoman Kathy Bushnell said the wind kicked up around 1 p.m., driving the fire on Stemple Pass beyond the boundaries of the controlled burn. Stemple Pass is northwest of Helena and a column of smoke could be seen from Helena.

The Lewis and Clark County sheriff's office was evacuating residences along Stemple Pass Road from the top of the Continental Divide down to Highway 279, known as the Lincoln Road. Some of the residences are recreational cabins.

Sheriff Leo Dutton said some people refused to leave.

Winds blowing 30 to 35 mph were pushing the fire north in the Virginia Creek area.

"If it keeps burning to the north, we're going to have to do a lot more evacuations," Dutton said. "We've got a cold front coming in. The forecast is not looking good," because of increased winds coming with the cold front.

The prescribed burn was started Wednesday. The fire had burned an estimated 100 to 200 acres by 3 p.m. Thursday, Bushnell said.

The National Weather Service had issued a fire weather watch on Tuesday afternoon and upgraded it to a red flag warning on Wednesday afternoon due to a forecast calling for high temperatures, high winds and low humidity.

"The burn plans are very specific and they were within those specific prescriptions for this plan yesterday" when the fire was set, Bushnell said Thursday.

The controlled burn was being done to reduce fuel loads. Trees in the area have been killed by mountain pine beetles and spruce budworm.