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EVACUATION UPDATE: Fire activity has picked up on the east end of the Dahl Fire, and officials are evacuating residents along Majerus Road. Pre-Evacuation notices have been given to residents along Tumbleweed Road.

A Northern Rockies Type 1 Incident Management Team has assumed management responsibility for the Dahl and Hawk Creek Fires. Additional resources continue to order and arrive. Today, the 20-person Lewis & Clark Hotshots arrived and orders for four more 20-person crews have been submitted.

2 helicopters are working the Dahl Fire, along with 1 heavy airtanker. Orders for 2 additional air tankers are pending.

Orders for additional engines and heavy equipment have also gone in. Numerous local wildland engines from rural and volunteer fire departments, dozers, graders and water tenders are also working on the Dahl Fire.

Additional reports on personnel and resources assigned to the fires will be available later this evening.

ROAD UPDATE: The fire is still close to the roadway and in all probability the road will remain closed through tonight. The barricades for the road closure are at the Old Divide Rd near milepost 34 and just south of Roundup at the US-87/US-12 junction.

ROUNDUP - Additional resources are being sent to two wildfires burning in Musselshell County.

A larger capacity airtanker has been ordered to assist with firefighting efforts at the Dahl Fire and Hawk Creek Fire. Both are still uncontained. Fire conditions began intensifying this afternoon with additional pre-evacuation planning underway and firefighters continuing with structure protection efforts.

The Dahl Fire is now estimated at 18,500 acres.

"We still have a lot of active burning - unburned fuels inside the fire perimeter and increased activity, particularly on the north and east edges of the fire," said DNRC Southern Land Office Area Manager Matt Wolcott. Wolcott, who was on the flight over the fire area, observed structures lost on both the Dahl Fire and the Hawk Creek Fire, which is 20-30 miles east of the Dahl Fire near Melstone. That fire is estimated at 1,500 acres. In Musselshell County, a team of observers began an assessment of structures early today and, once completed, information about structures would be available.

"We're exploring all possibilities," said Wolcott, who noted orders have been placed for additional heavy air tankers, helicopters, engines, and other suppression resources. The Lewis & Clark hotshot crew arrived today, and orders for additional ground forces are pending.

Firefighters have completed fire line along the Hawk Creek Fire. Given the weather forecast for this afternoon and evening, firefighters were concerned about whether existing lines would hold.

The Type 1 Incident Management Team will be briefed on the Musselshell County fires at 3 p.m.

Information for evacuated residents or those in proximity of the fire area is available in Musselshell County by calling the Emergency Operations Center at 323-2777.

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