Bridger Foothills Fire; Friday vs Saturday

The Bridger Foothills Fire near Bozeman was first reported around 3:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon. Flames and smoke could be seen just above the "M" on the west side of the Bridgers overlooking Bozeman. By Saturday morning, the fire had jumped over to the east side of the Bridgers and began moving up the canyon where firefighters are still fighting it.

Here's two pictures taken by our friend Keri-Lou McGinley; one just after the fire had started, and the other of what the scene looked like 24hrs later. It's quite the contrast.

We're still waiting on an update on the size of the fire. Four hundred acres burned was the last update, but that is well below what it is now. At the time of this writing, the fire is approaching Bridger Bowl.

Residents of Bridger Canyon were evacuated on Saturday afternoon, and several homes and structures have reportedly burned to the ground. Fire officials and the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office have not said what started the fire, only that it is under investigation.

Friends, neighbors, and community members began stepping up to help not long after the fire was first reported. Here are some resources if you need them:

Gallatin County Sheriff's Department Facebook page: You can check this page for breaking information about the fire.

Bozeman Lost Pet on Facebook: If you need care for your pets or have lost your pets due to the fire.

Bridger Foothills Fire - Info & Resources: A great resource for fire info.

Inciweb.nwcg.org: More fire info for the Bridger Foothills Fire and other fires around the state of Montana.