UPDATE, Tuesday July 16, 10 a.m.: Five wildfires have now burned more than 30,000 in southeastern Montana, with two fires burning together to form one large fire.
Fire managers for the Bureau of Land Management say the most active fire is the McGhee Fire, burning east and north toward Birney. The Deadman Fire remains the largest, burning nearly 19,000 acres.
Evacuation orders remain in place for residents of Rosebud County from Tongue River Road from The Tongue River Bridge, where Wall Creek meets Tongue River Road, down south to the Rosebud County Line.
In Big Horn County, an evacuation warning is in place for residents from the intersection of Dale Creek Road and East Fork Canyon Road, south to the intersection of Birney Road and Highway 314; from the intersection of Highway 314 and Birney Road east to the county line.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Six wildfires burning in southeastern Montana in Rosebud and Big Horn counties have grown to a collective 22,200 acres and evacuation orders have been issued for residents in the Tongue River area.
All six of the fires were caused by lightning strikes, fire managers say, and two of the largest fires, the Deadman Fire and the Anderson Fire, burned together into one larger fire that has burned 15,294 acres. The two joined fires is referred to no as the Deadman Fire.
The Rosebud County Sheriff's Office has issued evacuation orders for residents from Tongue River Road from The Tongue River Bridge, where Wall Creek meets Tongue River Road, down south to the Rosebud County Line.
The other four fires burning in the area are the McGhee, Prairie Dog, Hackley and Four-Mile fires.
A Type III team from the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is working the fires along with the Flathead Interagency Hotshot Crew.
Fire managers say landowners, ranchers, local fire departments, state and federal crews are all working together to tackle the fires.