Growth slows on fire near Arlee
<p>A helicopter carries a water bucket toward the Firestone Flats Fire east of Arlee. </p>
A wildfire near Arlee had grown to nearly 2,000 acres in size by 5 p.m. Sunday evening, and is creeping north and east as it expands.
The fire, known as the Firestone fire for its start Saturday afternoon in the Firestone Flats area, is being helped along by hot, dry weather and winds up to 30 mph.
Kristen Baker, Swan Ranger District Public Information Officer, said roads in the Jocko Canyon area are still restricted to public use. She did not have a number for how many homes have been evacuated.
“We will have multiple resources on the fire,” she said. “Type-1 teams, type-2 teams, three helicopters on the scene with three more coming. We also have seven engines and at least three pieces of heavy equipment.”
Help from tribal, state, federal and local fire are being used to combat the blaze. Two hotshot crews from the Lolo and Bitterroot forests were called up to help battle the Firestone fire.
Baker said the fire was zero percent contained, and the responding parties were going to have a meeting to discuss plans of attack Sunday night.
Steve Frye, the Fire Area Manager, is leading a type-2 “cleanup” team that took over the fire’s management at 7 p.m. Sunday.
Residents of Jocko Canyon and other affected areas can be escorted to their homes to collect belongings as conditions permit.
The cause of the Firestone fire has not yet been determined, but a Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes fire dispatcher said the area in which the fire started had not seen lightning for several weeks.