The Ravalli County Sheriff's Office around 9 p.m. Friday ordered evacuations due to the Sharrott fire burning 1,600 acres in the Saint Mary's area.
The following areas are under evacuation orders:
- Kootenai Creek, west of the intersection of Timber Trail, to include residences on Timber Trail.
- West, of the west side of Sharrott Hill Loop, to include the residences on Blue Grouse Lane, Redtail Hawk Lane, and Porcupine Lane.
- Marmot Lane west of Saint Mary's Road.
- Saint Mary's Lookout Road, west of the intersection of Saint Mary's Road.
According to the Bitterroot National Forest, the fire is burning roughly 4 miles west of Stevensville. Forest officials say the fire was caused by lighting mid afternoon on Friday and grew in extreme wind.
A Red Cross evacuation center is located at the LDS Church in Stevensville at 100 Middle Burnt Fork Road. The shelter is providing lodging, food and medical and mental health services.
Closures are expected in the following areas: Kootenai Creek, St. Mary's Trail, Big Creek and Bass Creek.
Updates on evacuations can be found on the Ravalli County Sheriff's Office Facebook page
