SEELEY LAKE - A wildfire burning outside of the town of Seeley Lake has grown from 200 acres to 600 acres and evacuations remains in place.
A Complex Incident Management Team will take over the fire on Sunday, July 23. The fire is burning about 15 miles northwest of Seeley Lake.
The Missoula County Sheriff's Office has issued an Evacuation Order for residents along Highway 83, between mile markers 27 and 31 — between Rainy Lake to Summit Lake.
An Evacuation Warning is in place for residences between mile markers 25.5 and 27.
The American Red Cross has set up a shelter for evacuees at the Blackfoot Community Bible Church in Ovando.
Fire managers report fire activity includes torching, spotting, and active consumption of heavy fuels.
Ground crews performed structure protection northeast of the fire on Friday while aviation resources continued suppression efforts by cooling hotspots and slowing the fire’s rate of spread.
The Colt Fire was sparked by lightning on Monday, July 17, and was detected the following morning.
Drivers are asked not to stop along Highway 83 near the fire. Due to high fire activity, there is a large increase in traffic, including emergency response vehicles, large equipment, and law enforcement.
