BUTTE - Several fire crews are battling a wildfire in steep terrain that was reported Saturday afternoon in a remote area southeast of Butte.
The wildfire is located in a very remote area off of Blacktail Canyon Road. Firefighters had a difficult time accessing the fire.
“It’s pretty rugged country up there, not able to get any vehicles or even 4-wheelers in there, they had to hike in the whole way,” said Terra Verde Volunteer Fire Department Chief George Stone.
There are some homes in the area and fire crews are using hand tools to make fire breaks to remove fuels so that the fire can’t spread.
“On the uphill side there’s really not much trouble they can get into for quite a ways, but, you know, if it starts coming down this way, that’s more of an issue too,” said Stone.
One resident, who has a home very close to the fire, said he was surprised to see a wildfire this late in the year.
“You know, I’ve lived up here 30 years or so and this has never crossed my mind before, you know, in the summer, of course, but not now,” said Blacktail Canyon Road resident Fred Jozovich.
The gusty winds in Butte are also a cause of concern for the safety of the firefighters at the scene.’
“That’s actually my job to just keep an eye on things, make sure the wind doesn’t all the sudden change on them, so I can tell them to get the heck out of there if something does happen,” said Stone.
Firefighters left the scene before nightfall and will monitor the fire from a distance overnight. Fire crews with the U.S. Forest Service will take over the fire. Crews from the Butte Fire Department, Terra Verde Volunteer Fire Department, Boulevard Volunteer Fire Department and the Forest Service assisted in the fire.
