HELENA — The Red Cross opened an evacuation shelter in Cascade on Sunday as the Harris Mountain Fire continued to grow. The fire is about 10 miles southeast of Cascade and was started by lightning.
Late Sunday afternoon fire managers put the fire at 6,500 acres. Cascade County Sheriff Jessie Slaughter put residents on Sheep Creek Lane and an area south of Cascade under a pre-evacuation order.
The Red Cross evacuation center is located at Cascade High School, 321 Central Ave. W. Residents who check in there will have access to services including a safe place to stay, meals and other community resources. All Red Cross services are free.
Families also can request Red Cross services by calling 800-272-6668.
A Type II Incident Management Team is scheduled to take over management of the fire Monday morning.
The Cascade County Sheriff's Office also said the northern part of the Belt Creek Drainage and the town of Monarch have also been placed under a pre-evacuation order. The Balsinger fire is about 7 miles west of Neihart.
The Balsinger Fire is estimated at more than 4,700 acres.
A community meeting has been scheduled in Neihart Monday night at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the community park.
For the latest information on fires burning throughout the region visit the MTN Wildfire Watch page.
