Wildfires

Montana’s fire season has wound down, and while it was milder than land managers predicted, data indicate continued drought and high temperatures could lead to more intense fire seasons in the years to come.

The complaint filed by Forest Service Employees For Environmental Ethics accuses the federal agency of violating the Clean Water Act by dropping fire retardant into water bodies during firefighting efforts.

Increases in wildfires and their intensity will likely expand the need for pulmonologists.

Stage 1 fire restrictions banning campfires and limiting outdoor smoking had been in place since late spring.

The fire preparedness level for the Northern Rockies region dropped this week.

Aerial attacks on the Mount Helena Fire were halted for 12 minutes Sunday afternoon after a drone was spotted on the scene.

Underground coal seams can burn unnoticed for years. They can also spark raging wildfires. Funding to extinguish them is limited, but a mapping effort is underway to plot the smoldering coordinates.

Rain and cooler temperatures helped firefighters make progress this weekend on two large, aggressive wild fires in central and eastern Montana.

Fire crews from several agencies and air resources are making progress on a nearly 1,300-acre fire in Treasure County in southeast Montana.

Residents on Loon Road and Candlelight Road in Helena were evacuated as officials respond to a fire burning close to the intersection of Highway 12 and Spokane Creek Road.