LIBBY- Some residents in Flathead and Lincoln counties in the area of the East Fork Fire have been issued pre-evacuation notices.
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office has issued evacuation warning notices for residents in the Stryker area who may be impacted by the East Fork Fire.
The Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency (LCMEA) states in a social media post that changing fire conditions could impact power in northeast Lincoln County where power is provided by the Lincoln Electric Cooperative (LEC).
Fire managers report they have established an "advanced action" point for the East Fork Fire and that if the fire reaches that action point, then LEC and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) will be placed on standby.
Emergency management officials would then initiate a CodeRED notification to all residents in the potentially impacted area. Additionally, LEC will send automated calls to members to be prepared for the potential of a system-wide outage.
The length of the possible outage would be based on fire conditions and damage assessments, the post states. LCEMA will work to coordinate sheltering and support to critical facilities if an extended outage is anticipated.
Lincoln Electric Cooperative and BPA have no plans to de-energize any of their facilities unless specifically requested by fire managers.
LEC reports the importance of the BPA transmission line "was reiterated to firefighting personnel" during a Friday morning fire briefing. "They will continue to fight the fire with the safety of employees and the public" as their top priority.
The Flathead County Office of Emergency Services has issued pre-evacuation notices for an area that includes Highway 93 north beginning at mile marker 142 north to Flathead County/Lincoln County line. Crossroads and affected addresses can be found here.
This is not a mandatory evacuation. The Flathead County Sheriff's Office will conduct door-to-door notifications to residents in the affected area. '
Residents in affected areas of Lincoln and Flathead counties should begin making plans to leave the area in case it becomes necessary.
The Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency also advises people to be prepared for the potential of an area power outage. The Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency will provide updated information on its Facebook page as it becomes available.
All residents should sign up for CodeRED to get immediate emergency information notifications. Click here for additional information.
The American Red Cross has established a shelter in Columbia Falls. People who plan to use the shelter are asked to contact the Red Cross prior to arrival at 1-800-733-2767.
The East Fork Fire burning a dozen miles from Trego was reported at 3,000 acres with 20% containment as of Friday morning.
