Evacuation orders remain in place for Boulder Fire

Evacuation orders remained in place Monday for residents displaced by a wildfire burning on the Mission Mountains along the east shore of Flathead Lake.

The Boulder 2700 Fire grew to an estimated 1,134 acres Monday, with 0% containment.

Residents on the lake shore east of Polson were ordered to evacuate early Sunday morning as the wildfire crossed Montana 35 and burned as many as 20 structures between mile markers 9 and 10. The fire is believed to be human-caused and is under investigation.

The evacuation order affects all of Finley Point and the Skidoo Lane area, and homes on Montana 35 from mile marker 6 to marker 13. The highway is closed in both directions from the junction with U.S. 93 in Polson to Blue Bay at mile marker 15.

The fire area received about 0.10 to 0.5 inches of rain overnight Sunday, which fire managers described as “insignificant.” Higher humidity and cooler temperatures, however, were helping the firefighting efforts on Monday.

A Type 2 Northern Rockies Incident Management Team has taken command of the fire and is working to protect structures and establish containment lines on the north and south flanks. Fire crews are also supporting the Lake County Office of Emergency Management as they assess structure damage over the next several days.

The Red Cross has established a shelter at Linderman Elementary School, 312 Fourth Ave. E. in Polson.

A community meeting is planned for Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Polson High School, 1712 2nd St. W.