Fort Belknap declares emergency from Pine Grove Fire

Fort Belknap Indian Community Council has declared a state of emergency for the Pine Grove fire threatening the Hays and Lodge Pole areas on the reservation and extending south into Phillips County, causing the evacuation of the town of Zortman south of the reservation and the Pine Grove area on Fort Belknap.

A post on the council Facebook page about 12:30 p.m. reported the fire, discovered Monday morning, is about 8,000 acres.

The post says Pine Grove and Zortman are on evacuation status and Lodge Pole and Starhill are on an evacuation warning.

It says no injuries have been reported at this time and no additional structures have been lost at this time.

Firefighters are continuing equipment lines around structures and the communities of Lodge Pole and Hays, it says.

A post from Little Montana Truckstop in Grass Range says people who would like to donate to the firefighters and ranchers in the Hays, Lodge Pole, Zortman area, they are "more than welcome to drop it off" at Little Montana or The Ole Merc across the street.

"Someone will be this way around 6 p.m. tonight," the post says. "If you're not sure what items to donate in the past I discovered there are a few essential items that never cross our minds:

"• chapstick/lip balm

"• baby wipes

"• aloe vera

"• eye drops

"• bag balm."

A post made on the council Facebook page about 12:15 p.m. said evacuees and all residents, whether they have evacuated or not, can come to Hays school for meals for themselves and their family, breakfast, lunch and dinner.