UPDATE...2:00 p.m. Sunday, August 13

Highway 12 has been closed to through traffic from mile marker 20 to mile marker 30 due to weather related to the Lolo Peak Fire. In addition, 140 more homes have been placed on an Evacuation Warning...

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The Missoula County Sheriff's Office is in the process of sending deputies to over 160 homes on both sides of Highway 12 due to the rapid expansion of the Lolo Peak Fire.

Public Information Officer Brenda Bassett told KGVO News that evacuation warnings were issued just two days ago, but with the weather system and strong winds that blew through the area on Saturday night, that the evacuation orders were issued on Sunday morning.

"The mandatory evacuation orders start at mile marker 20, which is the Bear Creek area, and extending all the way to Fort Fizzle," Bassett began. "The residents are being asked to immediately leave the area. We have deputies going door-to-door, so if residents should leave before deputies can make contact with them, we ask that they check in at Roper's Lounge where we have an evacuation point set up, so we know they've left the area."

Bassett said the Red Cress is setting up an evacuation center by 1:00 p.m. on Sunday at the Florence-Carlton Community Church on old Highway 93.

"If folks who have to leave their homes need additional assistance, just know that the evacuation center is being set up," she said. We have a number of fire related phone lines being set up. The numbers are available on our Facebook page, but here they are. The phone line for evacuations is 258-4636, and the number for fire activity is 272-5433."

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