Fire activity is picking up above the Florence area in the Bitterroot Valley at this hour.
A column is coming up in the Tie Chute Creek area as the fire makes a run to the top of the ridge between Tie Chute Creek and One Horse Creek. Retardant is being dropped across the face of the slope to check fire growth as it moves down-slope toward fire line.
A Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT), one of the largest firefighting aircraft in the world, is part of the tanker fleet dropping retardant.
No new evacuations at his hour, but fire activity expected to pick up throughout the evening.
Stay tuned to this Montana Public Radio Station, or MTPR.org, for any breaking wildfire news.