[(***ACURTIS***)]WE ARE TRACKING
REPORTS OF AT-LEAST FOUR NEW
FIRE STARTS THIS AFTERNOON.ACCOR
DING TO KATHY BUSHNELL, HELENA-
LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL FOREST
SPOKESPERSON, FOUR HELENA AREA
FIRES WERE STARTED BY BY
LIGHTNING.TWO FIRES...
THE OWL
GULCH AND DEVIL’S TOWER ARE IN
YORK AREA...THE DEVIL’S TOWER
FIRE IS
AROUND FIVE ACRES...
TWO TANKERS ARE HELPING SLOW THE
SPREAD...EARLY ESTIMATES SHOW
THE OWL GULCH FIRE HAS BURNED
AROUND TWO ACRES...
AN ENGINE AND GROUND CREWS HAVE
RESPONDED.CREWS ARE ALSO
RESPONDING TO TWO FIRES BURNING
IN THE CLANCY AREA SOUTH OF
HELENA.RESOURCES HAVE BEEN
PULLED
FROM THE NORTH HILLS FIRE TO TRY
AND CONTAIN THE NEW
FIRES.SHERIFF
LEO DUTTON TOLD M-T-N THAT THEY
ARE EVACUATING AROUND 15 HOLMES
IN THE BEAVER CREEK AREA.WE WILL
UPDATE YOU AS MORE INFORMATION
BECOMES AVAILABLE.




[(***ACURTIS***)]THE LEWIS AND
CLARK COUNTY COMMISSION HAS
DECLARED AN *OFFICIAL EMERGENCY
IN RESPONSE TO THE
NORTH HILLS FIRE.THE FIRE HAS
BURNED MORE THAN 4,600 ACRES
NORTH
OF HELENA, SINCE IT STARTED ON
FRIDAY.COMMISSIONERS SAY THEIR
EMERGENCY DECLARATION IS A
NECESSARY STEP SO THE COUNTY CAN
RECEIVE STATE AND FEDERAL
ASSISTANCE FOR THEIR RESPONSE TO
THE FIRE.LEADERS SAY THE COUNTY
HAS ALREADY HAD TO PAY FOR
THINGS
LIKE OVERTIME FOR LAW
ENFORCEMENT.AND IMPROVING ROADS
THAT FIREFIGHTERS NEEDED FOR
ACCESS.WHILE THE DECLARATION WAS
FORMALLY APPROVED AT TODAY'S
(TUESDAY) COMMISSION
MEETING, LEADERS SAY THEY HAVE
BEEN WORKING ON IT SINCE THE
FIRST DAY
OF THE FIRE.COMMISSIONER S
THANKED STATE AND FEDERAL
LEADERS FOR THEIR QUICK WORK TO
SECURE SUPPORT.




{”WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OUR STATE
AND FEDERAL PARTNERS, I'LL TELL
YOU WHAT, IT'S VERY
IMPRESSIVE.”}{####}




[(***ACURTIS***)]THE NORTH HILLS
FIRE CONTINUED TO SPREAD TODAY
--
GROWING AROUND 400 ACRES IN THE
PAST 24 HOURS.MORE
