The Whetstone Ridge and Meyers fires in Montana have gotten so bad that some residents are now under a red evacuation order. According to Fire Information Officer Arlene Staley, the incident conditions are presenting an immediate threat to residents in the area.

“The Granite County Sheriff issued evacuation notices for the Frog Pond Basin, Copper Creek Campground, and the Moose Lake area,” said Staley. “The county sheriff handles the evacuations, we don’t. He is the one who deems when it is unsafe and he will deem when it is safe to go back in, with our recommendations of course, but it does go through the sheriff’s office.”

Staley says these two fires combined on Tuesday and they now have a new name.

“The two fires merged together,” Staley said. “We were doing the Whetstone and the Meyers fires. They have grown together so now we are just calling it the Meyers Fire. The total acreage for it is 11,882 acres. We have 449 personnel and that includes four type one hot shot crews, six type two hand crews and then additional support.”

The Meyers Fire ignited on July 14th and is 25 miles southwest of Philipsburg. As of now, Staley says no structures have been lost.

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