Update 06/16/21 - 11 a.m. This is a developing story, this post will be updated as we get more information.
The Deep Creek Fire between Townsend and White Sulphur Springs has grown to more than 2,000 acres, according to the latest InciWeb update Tuesday night.
A helicopter from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation flying to a helibase crash landed at the fire Tuesday afternoon, amid high winds and other critical fire weather conditions. All crew members safely escaped the wreckage and received medical attention, according to DNRC.
The fire grew more than ten times in size Tuesday from its last reported acreage after jumping Highway 12, which is closed east of Townsend.
Law enforcement evacuated the 60-home Grassy Mountain subdivision and 130-person Springdale Colony of Hutterites on Tuesday, according to Meagher County Sheriff John Lopp.
Structures were lost, though details are forthcoming, according to InciWeb.
Seventy firefighters with aircraft and other heavy equipment are on the blaze. Officials have requested a Type 1 Incident Management team reserved for complex fires, according to the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
Ground crews are also assessing a new plan based on recent heavy fire activity, according to InciWeb.
The Deep Creek Fire started Sunday on steep, rocky national forest land in the south end of the Big Belt Mountains southeast of Helena. The fire’s cause is under investigation, though forest officials say first responders found a downed power line at the scene.
