PARADISE - Some growth is being reported from The River Road East Fire burning near Paradise.
The blaze has grown from 16,772 acres to 17,083 acres with containment growing from 2% to 5% as of Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023.
Fire containment has increased around the town of Paradise on both sides of the Clark Fork River.
The Sanders County Sheriff’s Office opened the McLaughlin Creek Road to residents only Wednesday. The latest information evacuation information can be found here.
Residents can also receive updates and sign up for automated emergency alerts here.
A public meeting to discuss the fire will be held on Thursday, Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. in the Plains High School gym. It will also be live streamed on the River Road East Fire Facebook page.
The Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes closed the Flathead River at Perma Bridge on Wednesday at the request of fire managers.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced the closure of three sites in the area earlier this week.
Fire managers report "significant progress" has been made on the northwest flank of the fire and structure protection efforts are continuing.
The return of warmer and drier conditions means increased fire activity is likely and smoke will be visible in more areas.
The Montana Red Cross has opened a shelter for evacuees at the Church on the Move at 300 Clayton Street in Plains.
There are 675 people assigned to the River Road East Fire which sparked on Friday, Aug. 18.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Watch the Aug. 24, 2023, fire briefing below.
