Just when firefighters thought the worst might be over, the Condon Mountain Fire flared up on Wednesday and grew to 2,396 acres. Although no evacuation orders are in effect, an evacuation plan has been drafted as a precaution.
The fire was started by lightning in July and earlier this month was mostly burning in its interior. Yesterday, the fire made runs into the Smith Creek drainage and toward Smith Creek Pass. On Thursday, the U.S. Forest Service and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation dispatched five helicopters and a Super Scooper airplane to try to douse the blaze.
As of Thursday morning, about 100 people were fighting the blaze and a Type 2 Incident Management Team was on the way.
The fire’s growth raised concerns about possible evacuations in the Falls Creek area. An evacuation plan has been drafted and if needed would be coordinated by the Missoula County Sherriff and Missoula County Emergency Service Office.
Officials were urging the public to visit the following websites to learn more about what to do during an evacuation: www.readyforwildfire.org and www.co.missoula.mt.us/oes/.