Butte wildfire expands

The fire was first reported around 3 p.m. on Friday in the Homestake Pass area between Interstate 90 and Highway 2. Firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service and local departments rushed to the scene as smoke billowed into the air.

The fire is burning in dry and hot conditions, with a large amount of dead lodgepole pine trees fueling the flames. This has created additional hazards and is affecting the progress of containment, according to officials from the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

An evacuation warning was issued on Friday evening for Blacktail Canyon Road and Homestake Road areas. Residents in the warned areas are advised to be prepared to evacuate, although no evacuation order has been issued yet.

Sheriff Ed Lester advised residents not to wait for an evacuation order if they feel unsafe or need extra time to leave the area.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, but infrared images showed it had reached 96 acres by late Saturday morning. The fire has been officially named the Blacktail Canyon Fire.

On Friday, seven large air tankers and one VLAT dropped fire retardant while six helicopters provided aerial support with water bucket drops. Ground crews, engines, and a 20-person crew also assisted in the firefighting efforts. More resources and crews were expected to arrive on Saturday.

Firefighters are assessing the fire area for safe access and constructing firelines to prevent the fire from spreading. Helicopter rappelers are working on creating a helispot to assist in containment efforts. Other teams are identifying critical areas at risk and focusing on protecting private structures.

Weather conditions remain hot and dry, with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms during the weekend. Smoke plumes were visible on Friday but became harder to see on Saturday due to overall smoky conditions in the Summit Valley.