Evacuation orders are still in place for much of the town, which is about 1 ½ miles from the fire’s edge.
Authorities say the evacuation includes more than 1,000 addresses east of U.S. Highway 83. There are more than 1,200 homes in the Seeley Lake area, and about 500 of those are vacation homes, rentals or properties for sale.
The lightning-caused fire has burned 50 square miles (130 square kilometers) and is 18 percent contained.
In northern Montana, another fire about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Havre has shut down a state highway, threatened the Beaver Creek Park and forced evacuations from about a half dozen residences.