More Land Closed in Montana as Wildfires Rage

A federal agency closed an additional 1.3 million acres of its land in Montana on Tuesday to protect against the danger of Western wildfires that have scorched an area the size of New Hampshire this year.

The move by the Bureau of Land Management came as U.S. Forest Service spokesman Ed Nesselroad said that agency was preparing to close off more of its land as well.

Closures ordered last week covered 6 million to 8 million acres of state, federal, tribal and private land in western Montana, the area hit hardest by wildfires. The latest shutdown extends to the east.

“With extreme fire conditions and limited firefighting resources, we want to provide for public safety and minimize the possibility of new fires,” said Mat Millenbach, the Montana director of the Bureau of Land Management.

The bureau’s decision is likely to further rankle outdoor enthusiasts, who have seen reductions in the amount of land available for hiking, camping and fishing.

“We recognize the hardship this places on recreationists, outfitters and guides, and other forest and public land users,” Millenbach said. “However, the situation is extreme, and precautionary measures are needed to prevent further public safety concerns and natural resource impacts.”

The land will not be open to the public for activities such as hiking, camping or fishing, mainstays of summer recreation in Montana, but the bureau order allowed exceptions for specified campgrounds and recreation areas. People still can cross the federal land for access to their homes.

The National Interagency Fire Center in Idaho said Tuesday that 79 fires were burning on 1.4 million acres in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

The agency said wildfires have burned 5.7 million acres this year, or about 8,900 square miles.

On Tuesday, Montana had 29 large fires on 613,000 acres, the fire center reported.

In the month since Montana’s fire season began, the burning has disrupted major industries such as tourism and agriculture, drawn thousands of firefighters and sent smoke miles from the flames. On Tuesday, haze from Montana fires hung over Reno.

In California, fire officials started precautionary evacuations Tuesday of three communities near the growing fire in the Plumas National Forest, as the fire grew to 20,500 acres.

Although about 50 people have been told that strong winds could push the fire close to their homes in the Caribou Road, Belden and Seneca areas, only a few people have left, said Mike Vineyard, fire information officer for the Forest Service.

With the help of 1,700 personnel, firefighters had the blaze 15% contained Tuesday morning. Low winds and high humidity helped slow the fire’s spread, Vineyard said.

In Idaho, officials worried about losing help as many college students fighting fires return to class. Twenty-seven large fires were burning on almost 629,000 acres in Idaho.

“We’re losing probably half our force right now,” said Keith Hackbarth, a crew boss for the Bureau of Land Management.

In Wyoming, firefighters made progress on a blaze that closed a major route into Yellowstone National Park for four days.