Wildfire roars through Montana; ski resort evacuated

Wildfire roars through Montana; ski resort evacuated

The wildfire likely started on private property and was driven into the forest by strong winds of up to 50 miles per hour.

A wildfire fueled by strong winds is ravaging southern Montana, causing people residing in a ski lodge to evacuate temporarily as firefighters battled the blaze.

The fire roared west of the Red Lodge community and had expanded to 700 acres — however, the threat to humans had been eliminated and they were allowed to return, according to a Fox News report.

Authorities believe that the fire started on private property, and winds that were gusting at 35 to 50 miles per hour blew the flames into Custer National Forest and in the vicinity of Red Lodge Mountain Resort, a popular ski attraction.

Although there is plenty of snow in that area that could slow the fire down, there is also a “solid run of timber from where the fire is to the ski area,” said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Jeff Gildehaus according to the report.

Authorities made the decision to evacuate the area at about 2:30 p.m. on Saturday in a precautionary move because there was just one road available to both skiers and firefighters. That evacuation was lifted just hours later, allowing vacationers to return to skiing. About 500 people had been affected.

In a post on its Facebook page, the Red Lodge resort said that guests were safe and had been escorted by law enforcement to a safe area.

So far, no structures have been damaged, although it came close to some rural homes.

It is unusual to have wildfires at this time of year, although down at low elevations the ground can get pretty dry, and without green vegetation yet there is still dry grass that can burn, Gildehaus said.

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