Crews on fire near Townsend struggle to make ground

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By The Associated Press

Story Published: Aug 19, 2008 at 6:32 PM MST

Story Updated: Aug 19, 2008 at 6:32 PM MST

TOWNSEND - High winds and low relative humidity are hampering efforts to quash a wildfire east of Townsend. By Tuesday evening, the blaze had grown to about 750 acres and was 10% contained.

Fire officials say winds were steady at 15-20 mph throughout the day, with gusts of 35 mph, making it difficult for crews to make gains. About 100 people are assigned to the Bear Gulch fire, with a specialized "type 2" incident management team taking command of operations late Tuesday afternoon.

Because of the fire, the North Fork of Deep Creek Road and Cabin Gulch Road have been shut down until further notice. Fire information officer Liz Van Genderen says no structures are being threatened by the blaze. The fire was first reported shortly before 2 p.m. Monday and is burning in heavy timber.

Missoula

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Current Temp 33.0 °F
Partly Cloudy
Wind : East at 6.9 MPH (6 KT)
Pressure : 1020.4 mb
Humidity : 56 %
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Butte

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Current Temp 28.0 °F
Partly Cloudy
Wind : Calm
Pressure : 1020.5 mb
Humidity : 53 %
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