NORRIS — What started off as 100-acre fire just off of Bradley Creek Road on Sunday afternoon has now burned more than 1,700 acres in the Norris area.
“We feel safe now. Today we feel like they have it under control,” said John Lamb who lives at the intersection of Montana Highway 84 and US Route 287
“We’re thankful for all the firemen that are out here. There’s a lot of them.”
But that wasn’t the case Sunday afternoon when he saw the flames inching closer and closer to town.
“You know it was coming quick because the wind was blowing. So that’s when we panicked. We started to get our animals and everything out of here, out of the fences because we didn’t want to get the trapped and burnt,” said Lamb.
On Monday, crews continued to work on putting flames out and established burn operations to help secure the area.
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) reports the fire is 20% contained.
There are no reported deaths or injuries due to the fire, but some loss of livestock.
“Right now, the fire resources are working to make a larger unburned fuel. Increase that black area to secure the perimeter. And as that grows more secure, that’s when our containment will increase,” said DNRC spokeswoman Crystal Beckman.
With flames out of sight from home, now John Lamb’s biggest concern is retrieving his animals and getting things back to normal.
“Trying to catch animals, trying to get animals back on this side of the road, back in their pens and fences. And doing a little clean up from all the dust and the smoke and the soot that kinda landed on us,” said Lamb.
There are currently no closures or evacuations in place.
