(UPDATE, 7:40 p.m.) The Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s Office has issued an evacuation order for residents near the Ordway Fire, located near Ordway Road east of Craig.
Evacuations are in effect for areas south of Beaver Slide Loop, including Arrow Drive, Ordway Road, and Little Bear Lane.
Roads closures are in place at North Fork Road, the junction of Charbonneau Drive and Frazier Road, and at both ends of Beaver Slide Loop.
People are advised to avoid the area and allow fire responders to safely and effectively perform their work.
Residents who have not yet evacuated and choose to leave should take essential items with them, including medications and any necessary medical equipment. Once evacuated, residents will not be allowed to return to their property until the evacuation order is lifted.
Residents within the evacuation area who choose not to leave must remain on their own property.
Winds are expected to continue overnight, and fire conditions will be reevaluated on Saturday. Updates will be released as more information becomes available.
(1st REPORT) MTN is tracking several new wildfire starts located north of Helena on the way to Great Falls. Firefighters from multiple agencies and air resources are working both fires.
The Ordway Fire is burning roughly 2.5 miles northeast of Craig. The fire has burned an estimated 70 acres as of 5:45 p.m. Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton has told MTN he is headed up to the fire to evaluate if evacuations need to be ordered.
The Rattlesnake Fire is burning just north of the Gates of the Mountains exit, and was estimated around 40 acres as of 5:45 p.m. Due to limited visibility from the smoke, I-15 northbound lanes were closed earlier in the day, with traffic stretching back more than a mile from the Gates of the Mountain Exit. As of 5:00 p.m., traffic has slowly resumed and is being led through the area with a pilot vehicle.
Editor's note: This is a developing situation. MTN has reporters on the scene and will provide updates as they become available.
