http://www.kpax.com/story/29927175/spotted-eagle-fire-update-some-evacuees-can-return-home-in-heart-butte
The Blackfeet Tribal Council has partially lifted an evacuation order for the town of Heart Butte.
Nearly 200 residents were ordered to leave their homes Friday night after the Spotted Eagle Fire exploded to more than 50,000 acres and crossing from national forest onto tribal land.
Tribal officials say fire crews have made progress on the fire, and are now allowing all but a few residents to return to their homes.
Right now, all those living on the east side of BIA Road 1 are allowed to return.
But those on the west side - which is closest to the fire - are still under an evacuation order.
Officials say those 15 or so people will likely need to remain in a shelter in Browning for another couple of nights.
More than 100 firefighters from the state, local, and tribal agencies are still battling the fire.
There is no word yet on containment of the fire. There have been no reported injuries at this time.
Firefighters have been doing burn-outs and structure protection with limited air support.
Over the weekend, ten Volunteer Fire Departments joined other fire crews in conducting a reconnaissance of the burn area, identifying locations for containment lines and performing burn out operations along BIA Route 1 road to remove fuel.
Four air tankers were able to drop retardant in the vicinity of Heart Butte in support of efforts to protect the town and other structures in the area. Heavy smoke and gusty winds limited their activities.
The Volunteer Fire Departments, which include Cut Bank, Valier, West Valley, Sunburst, Teton, Babb, Dupuyer, Heart Butte, East Glacier, and Browning, have thus far been the backbone of this firefighting effort.
“On Friday evening the fire grew from approximately 200 acres to close to 50,000 acres. The VFD’s were very instrumental in protecting the community of Heart Butte. It has been an honor working with the community as they have come together during this incident.” said Alan Sinclair, the Deputy Incident Commander for the Southwest Area Incident Management Team 4.
On Sunday, the resources included 16 engines, including the VFDs and three that belong to the National Guard, two graders, and two National Guard water tenders.
The Gila Hotshots also arrived on the fire after being released from the Bench Mark Fire located west of Augusta.
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