A wildfire near Arlee had grown to nearly 2,000 acres by 5 p.m. Sunday evening, and is creeping north and east as it expands.

The Firestone Flats Fire is being helped along by hot, dry weather and winds up to 30 mph.

Kristen Baker, Swan Ranger District Public Information Officer, said roads in the Jocko Canyon area are still restricted to public use. She did not have a number for how many homes have been evacuated.

 “We will have multiple resources on the fire,” she said. “Type-1 teams, type-2 teams, three helicopters on the scene with three more coming. We also have seven engines and at least three pieces of heavy equipment.”

Help from tribal, state, federal and local fire are being used to combat the blaze. Two hotshot crews from the Lolo and Bitterroot forests were called up to help battle the Firestone fire.

Baker said the fire was zero percent contained, and the responding parties were going to have a meeting to discuss plans of attack Sunday night.

Steve Frye, the fire area manager, is leading a Type 2  team that took over the fire’s management at 7 p.m. Sunday. 

Residents of Jocko Canyon and other affected areas can be escorted to their homes to collect belongings as conditions permit. 

The cause of the Firestone fire has not yet been determined, but a Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes fire dispatcher said the area in which the fire started had not seen lightning for several weeks. 

The other major fire burning in Northwest Montana, the Red Shale Fire in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, had grown to 8,613 acres.

The fire is burning in the Red Shale Creek drainage west of the North Fork of the Sun River on the east side of the wilderness area in the Lewis and Clark National Forest.

Trail closures increased on Sunday as the fire continued to spread.

A crew of 12 people is stationed at Gates Park to monitor the fire and protect structures including the Gates Park administrative site and pack bridge as well as Wrong Creek and Rock Creek cabins.

A helicopter has been dropping water on spot fires near Gates Creek.