Bridger Canyon Residents Evacuating; Some Structures Lost
UPDATE (9:56 p.m 9/5/2020): MTN News is reporting that the fire is now at 11,000 acres.
Just after 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, the Gallatin County Sheriff's Department called for residents of Bridger Canyon near the Bridger Foothills Fire to evacuate. Residents were warned on Friday that could be a possibility, so most were prepared when the announcement was issued on Saturday afternoon.
The Bridger Foothills Fire, which started on Friday around 3:30 p.m. just above the "M" overlooking Bozeman, has now spread to the east side of the Bridgers and east of Bridger Canyon Road.
In a press conference this afternoon, Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin confirmed that there have been some structures lost to the fire on the east side of the Bridgers.
Currently, Bridger Canyon Road is closed from Story Mill Road to Brackett Creek.
Corey Lewellen, Bozeman District Ranger from the United States Forest Service, said that there have been firefighters injured while fighting this blaze. According to Sheriff Gootkin, some 20 different agencies are working to fight and assist with the fire, which to this point, has consumed more than 400 acres (they have not updated the size since this morning), so far.
The Sheriff's Department asks that people not call 911 unless they are directly impacted by the fire, as the 911 call center is being inundated.
The Red Flag Warning issued by the National Weather Service is in effect until midnight tonight. Temperatures are expected to lower into the 80s tomorrow, and the winds are also predicted to calm on Sunday. There is some good news, as rain is forecast for Monday with temps in the afternoon in the mid to upper 30s.
This is a developing story . . .
Bridger Foothills Fire 2020