Harris Mountain Fire tops 3,600 acres

GREAT FALLS — The Harris Mountain Fire about 10 miles southeast of Cascade has burned an estimated 3,623 acres as of Saturday evening.

The fire was sparked by lightning at about noon on Friday, July 23rd. There have been no reports of injuries or damaged structures at this point.

A Northern Rockies Type 2 Incident Management Team is scheduled to in-brief on Sunday.

There are 152 personnel assigned to the fire. Other resources include two Type 1 HotShot crews; three Type 2 Initial Attack crews; three dozers; and five engines.

Helicopter crews have been pulling water from the Missouri River near Sheep Creek for bucket drops.

Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter said on Friday that an evacuation order is in place for one home and evacuation warnings are in place for several other homes. Residents are asked to avoid the area as much as possible to allow fire response efforts to travel through the area. If driving through the area, please reduce speeds and be mindful of any posted signs restricting access or calling for alternate routes.

• FRIDAY: Wildfire sparks south of Cascade