ABSAROKEE, Mont. (AP) — Wildfires pushed by strong winds forced the evacuation of rural homes in northern Wyoming and southern Montana, officials said Tuesday.
In Wyoming, downed power lines caused a fire near the community of Clark on Monday night that burned at least two homes and seven outbuildings, said Jerry Parker, the Park County Fire District administrator. Wind gusts topped 90 mph (144 kph) Monday night.
Clark resident James Hayes told The Cody Enterprise that he was forced to flee his home at about 1 a.m. Tuesday, shortly before the fire encircled it. He returned later Tuesday to find his property mostly unscathed, he said.
The fire burned about half a square mile (1.4 square kilometers) of land, Parker said.
In south-central Montana, a fire reported at about 11:30 p.m. Monday led the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office to order evacuations southwest of the town of Absarokee, including an area between the communities of Ingersoll and Roscoe.
Thirty-five evacuation notices were issued, but it’s not clear how many people left their residences, the sheriff’s office said. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The fire burned about 4 square miles (10 square kilometers) in timber and rough terrain by Tuesday morning and was pushed by strong winds as a cold front moved into the area.
High wind warnings were in effect in the region.
