U.S. Highway 2 is going to be closed while crews deal with the approaching Sheep Fire . . .
Authorities closed a section of U.S. Highway 2 near Essex on Thursday to provide safe access for firefighters battling the Sheep Fire, a 232-acre blaze that has grown to within 1 mile of the highway and river corridor near the southern boundary of Glacier National Park.
There are no evacuation orders, but Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry and his deputies notified 106 residents in and around Essex that they must prepare to leave and recommended they begin loading their cars immediately, Flathead County emergency information officer Jennifer Rankosky told the Associated Press. Forty-two people were home and notices were left at the rest of the homes…
The highway closure was announced Thursday afternoon for the seven-mile section of highway from milepost 178 to 185, from the Halfway Motel near Pinnacle on the west side to Bear Creek on the east side. A section of railway is also being closed. The highway and railway will reopen once conditions are safe, authorities say.
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