Montana’s National Priority Fires Pull in Federal Resources

On Monday, the Sunrise fire southeast of Superior gained enough notoriety to get a high placement on the national priority list, Fire information Officer Tom Rhode explains.

"From a national priority we are actually third right now, we were second Monday, but another fire in eastern Montana pushed up into second. What it basically means is that when folks are loooking at where to send resources, it's based on that priority need.

The sunrise fire got within two miles of about fifty homes after winds began pushing the flames.

"The winds on Tuesday are out of the north east, but on Monday, they were out of the southwest and pushed the fire, spotted the fire towards the structures. We had a spot fire that went out in front and that is what initiated that Stage Two evacuation."

The stage two evacuation notice went out to residents in Sunrise and Quartz Flats on Monday, and is basically a warning to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. Rhode says they are considering issuing a stage two evacuation notice to homes in the Birdie Creek area as well.