Two fires erupt in Western Montana

HAMILTON — Some homes were lost to a swiftly moving wildfire Sunday in the Bitterroot National Forest near Hamilton, forest officials said.

And another large fire erupted Sunday east of Thompson Falls on the Lolo National Forest.

The Roaring Lion Fire west of Hamilton had covered 3,505 acres by Monday afternoon; the Copper King Fire had covered 700 acres eight miles east of Thompson Falls and one mile north of Montana 200.

The Roaring Lion Fire that started Sunday afternoon about 5 miles southwest of Hamilton led Ravalli County authorities to order residents of about 500 homes to evacuate or prepare to evacuate.

Homeowners gathered Monday at the command post for the Roaring Lion Fire, awaiting news on whether their homes were still standing. The sheriff and the fire chief were searching the area to determine the damage.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but forest spokesman Tod McKay said there has not been any lightning in the area.

“I’ve talked to homeowners who said we had 200-foot flames coming off those trees,” said McKay, who added that he heard propane tanks exploding.

“From the initial call until it was out of control was just a matter of minutes,” McKay said.

Those who were evacuated had to do it quickly, said Mike Jetmore, a builder. “There was literally no warning,” he said. “It wasn’t, ‘Tomorrow you might have to leave or tonight you might have to leave.’ It was, ‘Go now!’”

Five helicopters and a retardant tanker joined rural fire crews in the initial attack, but heavy smoke kept them grounded early Monday. Crews planned to work Monday to get containment lines around threatened houses while a highly trained management team prepared to take over.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning from noon to 9 p.m. today in Western Montana south of Kalispell. The weather service is expecting winds of 20 to 30 mph with possible ridgetop winds from 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 40 mph and possibly 50 mph in some areas.

The American Red Cross has set up shelters at two churches in the Hamilton area, while people can bring evacuated livestock to the county fairgrounds.

Near Thompson Falls, the Copper King Fire put up a plume of smoke visible for miles on Sunday afternoon.

“There is no containment right now,” John Hamilton, a U.S. Forest Service official, said Monday morning. “There are crews on the ground keeping an eye on it.”

A Type 2 incident management team is expected to take over firefighting efforts today.

There are no immediate threats to structures or residents, although the Big Lookout Project event, which is close to the burning area, has been canceled.

Some forest roads and campgrounds have been closed because of the fire.

Structures in the Snider and Copper King communities have been assessed and prep work around those structures will be implemented if necessary. Structure protection and preparation procedures are also ongoing along Montana 200 to the south of the fire area.

Montana 200 remains open to traffic, although fire officials are asking for the public’s cooperation to ensure safe travel through this area. Motorists are urged not to stop along the road to view the fire.

Two helicopters as well as fixed-wing aircraft are involved in the firefighting effort.

As of Monday, there were 150 people working on the Roaring Lion Fire and 33 working on the Copper King Fire.

Additional resources are scheduled for both fires.