From a note posted by Glacier Park . . .
Good news! U.S. Highway 2 reopened at 6 a.m. today, with pilot cars escorting traffic between mileposts 176.5 at Schellinger and 185 at Bear Creek. Escorted vehicles are not allowed to stop in this area. Call 1-800-226-7623 or 511 or visit http://www.mdt.mt.gov/travinfo/alerts.shtml for current road status.
BNSF trains and Amtrak are running intermittently. For more information on Amtrak call (800) 872-7245.
The Essex evacuation order was lifted this morning and U.S. Route 2 was reopened. In general, cooler, wetter weather has helped firefighters throughout the region . . .
The residents of Essex can go home again, if they’re ready to.
Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry announced Sunday night that the mandatory evacuation order for the town will be lifted at 6 a.m. Monday morning, and the community will be back to the “set” stage of the “Ready, Set, Go” evacuation model.
Essex had been under a mandatory evacuation order since Thursday, as the Sheep fire closed in. Also, U.S. Highway 2 will reopen at the same time, with pilot cars escorting traffic through the fire zone.