Wildfires on Blackfeet Res. force evacuations

[January 05, 2012]  BROWNING, Mont. (AP) -- Two wildfires raging on Montana's Blackfeet Indian Reservation early Thursday morning burned thousands of acres, forced scores to evacuate and destroyed several buildings, officials said.

Fueled by strong winds, the two blazes started around sundown Wednesday and together had grown to at least 45,000 acres by 4 a.m. MST Thursday.

One fire started southeast of Browning around sunset and burned about eight miles east to the community of Blackfoot, tribal spokesman Wayne Smith said. Another blaze erupted around the same time about 10 miles away.

A blaze called the Y-fire has scorched at least 30,000 acres and was about 50 percent contained, Smith said.

The nearby Boy Fire had burned through about 15,000 acres of grasslands. He didn't have a containment estimate.

"It's probably the biggest grass fire in reservation history," Smith told The Associated Press.

About 200 people have been evacuated from the small community of Boarding School, while another 100 people from two Hutterite communities were evacuated, according to Smith.

He said officers were working ahead to evacuate residents in the eastward paths of the fires, but he didn't have a figure on further evacuees.

No injuries have been reported.

"Local police, fire and EMS crews are everywhere. Responding where they are able to," tweeted Shannon James Augare, a state senator from Browning. "Please keep these individuals in your prayers."

Blackfeet Law Enforcement Chief Greg Gilham told the Great Falls Tribune that the fires were started by what was believed to be power lines that were blown over by high winds. One fire that burned east of Browning had already been put out.

"We're just in the middle of trying to evacuate houses that are in the way of the grass fire," Gilham said.

Smith said the fires were being pushed eastward by winds of 30-40 mph.

National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Zelzer in Great Falls said a 61 mph wind gust was recorded in Cut bank just before 6 p.m. Wednesday, and a 72 mph gust was recorded in Heart Butte south of Browning a few minutes later.

"There's a lot of reports in that range," he said.

Zelzer added that windy conditions were expected to continue through the night as a disturbance moves over the mountains.

"Sustained winds in that area, at least along the slopes of the Rockies, will stay pretty high," he said.

However, Smith said early Thursday that he had heard the winds could ease somewhat during the day.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.