New evacuations orders were issued Monday afternoon for the Elmo Fire near the western shores of Flathead Lake, which had grown to nearly 13,000 acres and was zero percent contained as of firefighters' most recent update Monday morning.
Closures and evacuation notices
Updated at 9 a.m., August 02, 2022
Evacuation orders are in effect for Lake Mary Ronan Road, Black Lake Road and the surrounding areas.
Highway 93: Single-lane traffic with reduced speeds is possible between Dayton (MM83) and Elmo (MM77). Find the latest travel information from the Montana Department of Transportation.
Red Cross evacuation centers have been established at Somers Middle School and Polson High School.
Highway 28 is now open. Smoke may cause low visibility, use caution while driving.
The Elmo Fishing Access boat ramp site is closed.
Lake Mary Ronan State Park is closed.
According to Lake County Sheriff office dispatch, the latest evacuations include Lake Mary Ronan Road, Black Lake Road and the surrounding areas.
A public meeting was held Monday evening at the Elmo Pow Wow Grounds to discuss the latest conditions and evacuation status.
The fire sparked off Highway 28 Friday evening and spread northwest toward Elmo and Dayton.
The blaze burned grasslands parched by days of 90 to 100 degree temperatures and has made its way into timberland.
A Red Flag warning is in effect over the fire area, meaning fire could continue to spread quickly. West and southwest winds with gusts up to 35 miles per hour are expected.
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Division of Fire and other local rural fire departments responded to the fire. Management has been handed off to a type II incident command team.
Evacuation orders were issued for nearly three-dozen homes this weekend, according to CSKT Division of Fire, but those were rescinded by Saturday afternoon.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.