HAMITLON — Evacuation warnings have been issued for residents living on the east end of Skalkaho Highway due to the Nature Grove Fire, which was discovered Sunday afternoon.
Sheriff Steve Holton issued the warnings for residents east of the 1800 block on both sides of Skalkaho Highway, working with U.S. Forest Service Incident Command and the Hamilton Fire Department, according to a press release from the Ravalli County Sheriffs Office. The fire is approximately 10 acres and active suppression efforts are underway.
While Skalkaho Highway remains open, Forest Service Road 75 is closed.
An evacuation warning means it's time for final preparations and precautionary movement of people with special needs, mobile property, pets and livestock.
Officials stress that residents shouldn't wait for an evacuation order and should consider early self-evacuation for family safety. Emergency first responders have placed exterior flagging and markings on homes to track notification status — residents are asked not to remove these markers.
RCSO will continue to update the public as conditions change through their mobile app along with the Hyper-Reach notification system. If you see slow-moving emergency vehicles with lights and sirens moving through the area, its time to evacuate immediately.
We will continue to keep you updated on this fire.
