East Fork Fire still at 15,000 acres

5:45 p.m.

A fact sheet released by the East Fork Fire emergency operations center at 5:35 p.m. said the fire in the Bear Paw Mountains remained at about 15,000 acres as of 2 p.m.

The sheet said the fire was not advancing as aggressively in the north, but was burning more aggresively in the southeast part of the fire in the Clear Creek Drainage.

The sheet said firefighters would continue to try to hold the fire between Shambo Road and Beaver Creek.

Due to a cold front moving toward the area being tracked by National Weather Service, firefighting operations will be re-evaluated at the evening briefing, the sheet said.

Weather Service issued an alert at 5:45 p.m. that Doppler radar was tracking a cluster of showers and

thunderstorms across Southern Hill and Chouteau Counties. Movement was east at 35 mph.

Winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with these storms, the alert said.

4 p.m.

Officials with the East Fork Fire are reassuring residents of Bullhook Road that runs past Saddle Butte Estates and south into the Bullhook Drainage that no evacuation order is in effect at this time.

Officials have been contacting residents to warn them that if the fire advances an evacuation could occur.

Firefighters at the time a 3 p.m. fact sheet was released were aggressively fighting the fire in the Little Box Elder Creek and Sucker Creek areas, including using backburns and fire lines to try to stop the fire's advance.

3:15 p.m.

The East Fork Fire Emergency Operations Center put out a fact sheet and press release saying the fire had grown to 15,000 acres and a pre-evacuation warning remains in effect for Bullhook Road that passes Saddle Butte Estates and runs through the Bullhook Drainage.

A trigger for evacuation has been set at Mountain Trail.

The release said the fire continues to jump fire lines at Little Box Elder Creek and Sucker Creek, but firefighters are using backburn operations and aggressive extended attacks. Containments lines are in place along Shambo Road.

The fire officials, in response to overwhelming local support, the release said, have established a relief fund for the East Fork Fire at Independence Bank. People can contact Independence Bank for details if they want to donate. If people have resources available that they wanting to offer to assist, they can call 406-265-5481 ext. 467 or can go online to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EastForkResources and enter information.

Additional resources have arrived to help, the fact sheet and press release say, including a Blackhawk helicopter being used for water bucket operations.

1 p.m. A fact sheet on the East Fork Fire in the Bear Paw Mountains from the emergency operations center for the fire said the fire had grown to 11,000 acres by noon.

The fire was still zero percent contained by noon, the sheet said, but fire activity had slowed progression. The area still is under a red flag fire warning due to low humidity, gusty wind and high temperatures, with the warning in effect until 9 p.m. Friday.

The fact sheet said the fire has destroyed five cabins and five outbuildings as of noon today, and 130 structures are threatened.

Pre-evecuation warnings are being conducted on Bullhook Road that travels past Saddle Butte Estates south through the Bullhook Drainage.

Firefighters will be trying to hold the fire between Box Elder Creek and Beaver Creek with a head stop at Sucker Creek, the sheet said.

People also are being told not to try to take supplies to the firefighters in the Bear Paws, but rather drop them off at dropoff points.

Susan Warburton, who is working on a supply effort with Emi Moore and Tammy Murry, said they are loading donated supplies onto trucks when they come into town to refuel, then the trucks take the supplies directly to the firefighters.

People not involved in the firefighting need to stay off the roads and away from staging areas to keep them clear, Warburton said.

She said people can drop off supplies for the firefighters at District 4 HRDC Building at 2229 Fifth Avenue in Havre or at the Havre Fire Department at 520 Fourth Street.

Warburton said donations keep coming in, with about seven truck loads stored about noon today. Restaurants also are providing hot meals, she said, which is helping because some of the firefighters have not eaten a full meal since Wednesday.

Warburton added that nonperishable items are welcome and can be stored at the drop off points.