HELENA, MONT- Governor Greg Gianforte received a briefing concerning the Horse Gulch fire on Tuesday, as he surveyed the fire area with Montana DNRC officials.
Impacting the communities of York and Canyon Ferry, as well as other surrounding communities, the Horse Gulch Fire has put nearly 500 homes and more than 400 people at risk. The fire started on Tuesday, July 9 and has burned 14,250 acres to date, though is now 23% contained. Officials say the cause of the fire is still under investigation, although it is believed to be human-caused.
Previously announced evacuation orders have transitioned to warnings, meaning residents should still be prepared to leave the area should conditions shift suddenly.
In the briefing on Tuesday, Gov. Gianforte was made aware of how fire suppression efforts were progressing. At the time of the briefing, the southern perimeter of the fire had been strengthened. Incident command informed the Governor that the next steps for containing the fire included addressing the northern perimeter through backburning.
Gov. Gianforte recently secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist with costs associated with combating the blaze.
To stay up-to-date on evacuation information, you can visit the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. You can monitor the Horse Gulch Fire on InciWeb.