Photo Courtesy of NBC Montana
Last Saturday, August 13, The Lolo Hotshot crew suffered the loss of one of its firefighters when 26-year-old Justin Beebe died while combating the Strawberry Fire in Nevada.
With intense growth of the Roaring Lion Fire on Tuesday, Ravalli County Undersheriff Steve Holton says new restrictions are in place for homes in the Stage Two Evacuation area closest to the fire.
With 500 over people evacuated, one man dead and 14 homes burned, the Roaring Lion Fire shows little signs of stopping anytime soon and has expanded nearly 1,000 acres since Monday.
With the east flank of the Observation Point fire held, firefighters are preparing to push against the fire's western edge in an area filled with steep, dangerous terrain.
Montana may experience some fire season relief this summer. Fire weather meteorologist Bryan Henry with the Northern Rockies Coordination Center says nearly all the evidence points to an average year.