Evacuation orders issued for residents near Montana wildfire

BILLINGS, Mont. – Officials in north-central Montana have ordered about 30 residents to evacuate after winds shifted and a wildfire moved to within a mile of the historic mining town of Landusky.

The Bureau of Land Management says the fire, south of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, had burned just over 3 square miles by Wednesday evening. It was considered 25 percent contained.

The Phillips County Sheriff’s Office issued the mandatory evacuation order for Landusky on Thursday morning after winds shifted and pushed the July fire toward the town.

The Billings Gazette reported the fire has burned within 1.5 miles of a camp where 130 firefighters and equipment are staged.

The fire, which started Monday, is burning in mixed timber. The cause is still under investigation.