Almost 104,000 acres spread across three designated wilderness study areas would be removed from protected status under a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday by Montana Sen. Steve
Wildfire forces closure of Garnet Ghost Town
MTN News
and last updated 2021-07-16 15:50:01-04
MISSOULA â A popular Western Montana tourist attraction is being closed down due to a wildfire.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced that due to a wildfire burning about a mile east of Garnet Ghost Town, the historic site and surrounding area are temporarily closed.
The closure order takes effect immediately for BLM lands in most of the southwestern portion of the Garnet Mountains from Elevation Mountain on the northeast to I-90 on the south.
This closure does not affect the Copper Cliff area, the Chamberlain area northeast of Elevation Mountain, lands to east of Douglas Creek, or BLM-managed lands within several miles of I-90.
Missoulian Staff
A new fire in the forest near Garnet Ghost Town helped confound weekend plans across western Montana as smoke inversions reached unhealthy levels on Friday.
The Bureau of Land Management temporarily closed the historic site and surrounding area for public safety and to clear roads for firefighters. The closure order affects most of the southwestern portion of the Garnet Mountains, from Elevation Mountain on the northeast to I-90 on the south.
Some major landmarks within this closed area are Garnet Ghost Town, Garnet Range Road, Elevation Mountain, Douglas Creek, Mulkey Gulch, Bear Gulch, Deep Creek, Elk Creek, Gambler Gulch, First Chance Gulch, Cave Gulch and Top Oâ Deep, and Keno and Kennedy roads.