Weather Cooperates in Wildfires

Cooler weather and diminished winds Saturday helped firefighters as they battled a 4,000-acre blaze that had forced the evacuation of 30 homes.

Residents were allowed to briefly return to their homes in steep terrain south of Bozeman to gather belongings. Other residents were warned Friday they might have to leave, but the additional evacuations were not necessary, fire information officer Pat McKelvey said Saturday.

Flames had destroyed one cabin, and a section of U.S. 191 remained closed Saturday.

The blaze, started by lightning, was reported Wednesday, and the next day it exploded to 3,200 acres as wind gusts hit 30 mph.

Lower temperatures and lighter wind helped crews make substantial progress Friday, and the fire did not grow overnight, officials said. Slightly higher humidity was forecast Saturday, McKelvey said.

About 400 firefighters were assigned to the blaze, along with six helicopters and four planes.

Elsewhere in Montana, rain Friday helped crews fighting a 71,000-acre fire that had burned part of Glacier National Park, information officer Greg Kujawa said.

Hot, dry weather has prolonged the Western wildfire season this fall. As of Friday, nine active fires had burned 93,000 acres in California, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota and Utah, the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, reported.