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HAMILTON - Even though the fire continued to grow Friday night, the good news is it moved away from homes.

The Bitterroot National Forest says the air attack early Friday morning helped push the fire west amd two bulldozer crews worked into the evening to make sure the fire doesn't spread, but the location of the blaze is making it difficult for them.

"The terrain is so steep that we can't cut dozer lines all the way to the top. So one of the issues is can we cut dozer lines about half way up on that north flank and then finish that containment with the retardant," said
Tod McKay, Bitterroot National Forest's Public Affairs Officer.

The dozer lines are key in stopping the fire from spreading.

"You're taking fuel away from that fire by cutting that line in as that ground fire comes across and it hits that dozer line, suddenly all of those fuels and the dead timber that's there is gone," said McKay.

Crews have been on the fire since 10 p.m. on Thursday night.

The fire exploded early Friday and crews started the air attack around 10 o'clock in the morning, beginning with water drops and eventually bringing in a retardant plane to lend a hand.

"The planes have been in the air all afternoon dropping retardant, protecting those homes. There's also a really important cell phone tower behind us that controls a lot of the cell phone, including some of the 911 activity. We've been dropping retardant around that area as well," says McKay.

He also says cooler temperatures, the possibility of some precipitation and more firefighters will help them as they continue to battle this blaze into the weekend.

The Ravalli County Sheriff's Office and the Hamilton Police Department are handling all of the evacuations and they will be the ones who will let people know when it's safe to return home..

A meeting to brief the public on the efforts to contain the Downing Mountain will be held from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Corvallis Grange Hall, which is located west of the Woodside Cutoff intersection, north of Hamilton.

Meanwhile, the American Red Cross is providing help to those who've been forced out of their homes. A shelter has been set up at the Westview Center, located at 103 South Ninth Street in Hamilton. Call the Red Cross at 1.800.ARC.MONT if you need information or assistance.