Fire South of Philipsburg Forces Evacuations

BUTTE, Mont. (AP) — A 200-acre fire driven by "horrific winds" forced the evacuation of residences in a forested area about four miles southeast of Philipsburg.

Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest spokeswoman Leona Roderick says the Granite County sheriff's office evacuated about 20 residences in the area of the Rumsey Gulch Fire on Monday, but she did not know how many people were affected.

Firefighters from the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the U.S. Forest Service and volunteer fire departments were fighting the fire, which started on private land at about 6:20 p.m. and burned into the national forest. Roderick says the cause of the fire is unknown, but "horrific winds" that swept through the area Monday afternoon.

The wind died down overnight and cooler temperatures helped firefighting efforts.