Eagle Creek Fire at 8,200 acres, full attack on fire today

The Eagle Creek Fire that started on Mount Baldy in the Bear Paw Mountains has grown to an estimated 8,200 acres, Hill County Disaster and Emergency Service Coordinator Amanda Frickel said this morning, and a full attack on the fire is planned for today.

Frickel said the fire is estimated to be 60 percent contained off of Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation and 30 percent contained on the reservation.

She said about 150 people are fighting the fire, including using two airplanes and two helicopters from Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and bulldozers and Bobcats on the ground.

Restrictions are in effect, with a post on the Chippewa Creek Tribe Facebook page Thursday saying no evacuations had been ordered at that time for local Rocky Boy residents. It reported the mountains on Rocky Boy on both the Beaver Creek and Big Sandy Creek sides were closed until further notice and hunting is not allowed in the mountains until further notice.

Cattle on the reservation were not in danger at the time the notice was posted and that situation was being closely monitored. Cattle have been observed staying clear of the fire and are considered safe, the post said.

Thepost said that, due to the air operations, no civilian access is allowed in the area.

"Please refrain from going up to the fire areas as you will be asked to turn around," the post said. "Law enforcement is on-site."

Beaver Creek Park Superintendent Chad Edgar said Thursday that, as a precautionary measure, the park south of Taylor Road is closed to overnight camping from Thursday, Sept. 8, until further notice due to the Eagle Creek Fire.

Montana Department of Natural Resources said in a release Thursday afternoon that emergency and local travel only is allowed on the roads south of Bear Paw Lake, AKA Second Lake, south of Havre on Montana Secondary Highway 234.

The fire, originally discovered at 2:34 p.m. Wednesday, primarily has spread east and west into both Blaine and Chouteau counties.

Frickel said DNRC and U.S. Bureau of Land Management are heading up the management of the firefighting with firefighting personnel and volunteer firefighters from Rocky Boy and mutual assistance from all three counties as well as U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs forestry division.

The includes assistance from the Box Elder Volunteer Fire Department, Bear Paw Volunteer Fire Department, Kremlin Volunteer Fire Department, Gildford Volunteer Fire Department, Wild Horse Volunteer Fire Department and St. Joe Volunteer Fire Department, as well as landowner and rancher assistance.

Frickel said one cabin has been reported burned but no injuries had been reported as of this morning.

She said the weather is expected to cooperate today - the forecast high in that area is predicted to hit about 60 degrees, with a chance of showers before noon, and wind expected to be at 10 mph to 13 mph with gusts up to 18 mph - and the firefighting team is hopeful.

She said the area received some rain Thursday night - she doesn't know how much it helped, but she is hopeful on that as well.

The fire, estimated at 2,000 acres Thursday morning, spread rapidly with gusty wind occurring throughout the day.

Estimates Thursday afternoon ranged from 7,100 acres to 8,500 acres, with Frickel's report this morning casting it at 8,200 acres.