Cabin Gulch Fire, east of Townsend, MT

(UPDATED at 10:26 a.m. MT, July 22, 2015)

The Cabin Gulch Fire that started Tuesday morning 13 miles east of Townsend, Montana grew quickly toward the northeast during the day and at last count had burned approximately 2,500 acres.

On Tuesday the firefighting resources working the fire included 3 helicopters, 6 single engine air tankers (SEATs), 4 Interagency Hot Shot crews, 3 20-person hand crews, and multiple engines.

 

Highway 20 is closed in the Deep Creek Canyon area.

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(Originally published at 7:36 p.m. MT, July 21, 2015)

map Cabin Gulch Fire
Heat detected on the Cabin Gulch Fire by a satellite at at 2:30 p.m. MT, July 21, 2015.

The Cabin Gulch Fire was reported in the late morning on Tuesday and has quickly grown into a large fire topped by an impressive convection column of smoke. The fire is 13 miles east of Townsend, Montana and has forced the closure of Highway 12 and the evacuation of 45 properties.

Helena National Forest spokeswoman Kathy Bushnell says the fire has burned about 400 acres and is spreading from grass and brush into timbered areas.