Highway 2 and the BNSF railway have been closed near Essex, MT, between mile markers 178 and 185; Bear Creek to the Halfway Motel. According to the Flathead Office of Emergency Services, the nearby Sheep Fire is sending embers onto the road. The town of Essex has not been ordered to evacuate at this time.
MTPR has a reporter standing by in Essex, stay tuned for more updates as the situation unfolds.
Find more Montana wildfire news here.