Fire near Arlee grows, community meeting scheduled
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ARLEE — Fire officials will update community members on the Firestone Flats wildfire during a public meeting at 8 p.m. tonight, Monday, July 29 at the Arlee High School.
According to CSKT spokeswoman Cara Cooley, the wildfire that started at approximately 2 p.m. in the Jocko Canyon on Saturday had grown to 1,750 acres as of Monday morning. Two hot shot crews and four local fire departments, totaling 150 firefighters, worked through the night to protect 20 structures that were threatened, Cooley said. No structures were burned. Helicopters and single-engine air tankers also worked to control the fire.
"It's expected to get bigger for a little while longer before it starts to get smaller," Cooley said.
Cooley said a helicopter crash in Thompson Falls was not involved in the firefighting effort.
Twenty-one families that were evacuated Saturday night were escorted by fire officials to examine their homes on Sunday, but were still not allowed to return to their homes as of Monday morning.
Five people spent the night at Heart View Center in Arlee. Most spent the night with friends and family, Cooley said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
