Update 5:35 p.m. Saturday
The Musselshell County Sheriff's Office has lifted evacuation orders for the Bruner Mountain area, as fire activity has decreased.
Residents are allowed to return to their homes, but are encouraged to be prepared if conditions change.
The fire is now 75% contained, according to Montana DNRC.
Update 6 p.m. Friday
A wildfire southeast of Roundup was estimated at 5,000 acres on Friday morning.
Watch the latest report:
The fire, known now as the Rehder Creek Fire, started at about 3 p.m. Thursday and was driven by strong gusty winds, according to the latest information from the Musselshell County DES.
Evacuation orders are in place for all residents in the Burner Mountain area/Subdivision, the agency said in a social media post.
American Red Cross opened a shelter at the Roundup Community Center.
“Anyone is welcome. They can come here if they need a charging station for their phone, if they're looking for a hot meal, if they need somewhere to stay overnight, or just for some information about what's going on,” said Samantha Samples, community disaster program manager with American Red Cross.
The cause of the fire, located 16 miles southeast of Roundup, has not been determined.
“It's still under investigation and we'll hopefully figure that out here within a couple of weeks,” said Musselshell County Fire Chief Justin Russell.
“As dry as it is for us this year, just in general for fires, there's a possibility for quite a few this year, I'm afraid,” added Bull Mountain Volunteer Fire Chief Jeff Gates.
A total of 50 personnel have been assigned to fight the blaze, and fire suppression equipment includes a helicopter and two dozers.
"Challenging terrain and limited access to the area have made suppression difficult as crews safely navigate around the fire," the DES post states.
The public is asked to avoid the area.
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Update 6:15 a.m. Friday
The Smith/Wilson Fire near Roundup flared overnight, and a second fire in the area has forced authorities to send out evacuation notices.
The Redher Fire spread toward the Bruner Mountain area, according to a social media post by the Musselshell County DES.
A shelter has been opened at the Roundup Community Center, the post states.
Here's the full post:
UPDATE: Smith/Wilson Fire has flared back up through the night. Crews are working on getting containment back.
Redher Fire has spread towards the Bruner Mountain area. Reverse 911's are going out for evacuation. If you are effected and need some where to go. We are opening a shelter at the Roundup Community Center.
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First Report
ROUNDUP - Responders are fighting multiple fires near Roundup, which have burned hundreds of acres.
According to the Musselshell County Department of Emergency Services, a fire off Rehder Road burned about 100 acres of timber, while another fire ignited in the Johnnys Coal subdivision around 4 p.m. Thursday.
Officials are warning anyone who has burned slash piles within the last two weeks to check on them because embers could be caught up in the wind and start additional fires.
Musselshell County officials say progress is being made on all fronts of the fires.
This is a developing story. Check back for details.
