New fire east of Eureka forces evacuations

At least 30 homes were evacuated Monday night as a result of an 800- to 1,000-acre wildfire along Gibralter Ridge east of Eureka.

The fire was ignited by a lightning strike that came with a brief thunderstorm at around 9 p.m. Monday, according to Jeff Stevenson, the assistant fire manager for the Kootenai National Forest.

The fire was initially estimated to have consumed about 500 acres, but as crews began evaluating the blaze from the air Tuesday morning, they determined that it had burned as much as 1,000 acres in less than 14 hours, Stevenson said.

The American Red Cross of Montana has opened a shelter for evacuees at the First Church of God in Eureka, and a dog park and the local fair grounds near the shelter will offer shelter and care for evacuated pets. Shelter volunteers will also be helping to haul livestock away from the area.

Pre-evacuation notices have been issued to residents whose homes are in the predicted path of the fire, according to Stevenson.

Stevenson said a Type 2 Incident Team has been ordered to help combat the fire. The team was scheduled to arrive on scene for debriefing at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Fire personnel were fighting the blaze with multiple engines Tuesday morning, and helicopters and heavy air tankers have been ordered.

LIGHTNING STRIKES ignited at least six additional confirmed wildfires within Glacier National Park as of Tuesday afternoon.

Four of those fires, each measured at about one-tenth of an acre each, occurred near Quartz Lake. A fifth, also measured at 0.1 acres, occurred west of Adair Ridge, and the sixth, measured at 0.5 acres, occurred near Snyder Ridge.

Witnesses reported seeing aircraft dipping buckets into Lake McDonald in order to fight the Snyder Ridge Fire.

Residents in Eureka and surrounding areas are encouraged to take evacuation and pre-evacuation notices seriously and to have an action plan in place should they occur. Wildfires fueled by dry brush and timber can spread and change direction quickly.

For more information on how to prepare for such emergencies, visit www.redcross.org.

To view a list of major wildfires in your area, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.