Missoula City County Health Department officials met with residents of Seeley Lake on Thursday night and recommended with the strongest language possible how important it was to evacuate due to historically toxic wildfire smoke.
The 1,600 residents of Seeley Lake have been advised to evacuate due to the continuing threat of dangerous air pollution caused by smoke from the nearby Rice Ridge Fire.
The Missoula County Sheriff's Office reports that a firefighter was killed by a falling tree while working on the Lolo Peak Fire. The man's name and hometown have not yet been released.
To better facilitate access in and out of Seeley Lake due to fire activity, the Montana Department of Transportation has suspended the chip seal project until the fire danger has passed.