GREAT FALLS — The Yogo Fire in the Little Belt Mountains has burned an estimated 2,858 acres as of Monday morning.
The fire is centered about 1.5 miles south of Yogo Peak, and 10 miles east of the town of Neihart, according to Inciweb.
At least 65 people have been assigned to fight the fire at this point.
Firefighters made progress on the north and west flanks of the fire on Sunday, although air attack efforts on the east side remained challenging due to limited resources, high winds and concerns about visibility. Firefighters used helicopters and air tankers to battle the flames.
"Our primary objective is to protect the public while not compromising safety to our firefighters and pilots,” said Matt Plagenz, the incident commander, in a news release. “We are asking for the public to follow evacuation orders and respect area closures.”
Although the fire is burning just east of Neihart, residents of Stanford, Hobson and White Sulphur Springs have encountered smoky conditions.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined; no injuries have been reported.
(1st REPORT, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 8:02 p.m.) A wildfire burned around 300 acres in the Little Belt Mountains on Saturday about 1.5 miles south of Yogo Peak, according to a news release from Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest.
As of 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, the fire had reached Prospect Ridge and is spreading to the west and south. The fire is in the Judith Musselshell Ranger District. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
The Judith Basin County Sheriff's Office (JBCSO) is working to issue "pre-evacuation notices to residences in the Middle Fork of the Judith River," according to officials with the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. MTN News reached out to the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest to clarify what those "pre-evacuation notices" entail. We were referred to the sheriff's office and have reached out to JBCSO for comment.
A type 2 helicopter and an air tanker were used to fight the fire on Saturday, the release says. A Type III incident commander was slated to be on scene Saturday evening to manage the resources, including two helicopters, to the fire.
Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest also cautioned that the communities of Stanford, Hobson, and White Sulphur Springs may encounter smoke.
“We are urging all hunters and hikers to avoid the area,” said Judith Musselshell District Ranger Ron B. Wiseman in a separate news release. “Please continue to follow the Judith County Sheriff’s Office for the latest evacuation information and anticipate road and trail closures to be coming soon.”
Chiara Cipriano, Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest public affairs officer, told MTN News on Saturday evening that more information about road and closure trails will be released on Sunday.
"We are anticipating that there will be trail and road closures, so we encourage visitors to visit ourwebsite and Facebook pages," Cipriano said.
We will update you when we learn more.
