THREE FORKS — On Wednesday, the Panama Fire was reported burning in southern Jefferson County, northeast of Cardwell, near I-90.
Initial reports of the fire came in shortly after 2:30 p.m. As of 5:15 p.m., the fire had burned several hundred acres and was growing.
According to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, resources from the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Montana DNRC, Whitehall Volunteer Fire Department, Willow Creek MontanaFire, Harrison Volunteer Fire Department and Three Forks Volunteer Fire Department were all working the fire. Multiple air resources were fighting the fire on Wednesday afternoon.
"Please do not stop on the freeway to watch the fire, and avoid surface roads in the area to let firefighters work. Several structures in the area of the fire, but are not currently threatened," wrote the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office on social media.
This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.
