Montana battles top 4 fires in the West, hundreds of people evacuated

HELENA, Mont. — Firefighting crews in Montana battled the four top priority wildfires in the West on Wednesday, blazes that have led to the evacuation of hundreds of people.

In a normal year, Wednesday would have been the beginning of the summer fire season in Montana, but drought has put most of the state two to three weeks ahead of schedule and more hot, dry weather is forecast.

"It's going to be a long season," said Warren Bielenberg, fire information officer for the Lewis and Clark National Forest in northwest Montana.

Large wildfires also were active in California, Idaho, Michigan, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming, the National Interagency Fire Center reported.

The No. 1 priority for firefighters Wednesday in the West was a blaze in the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness north of Helena that had blackened more than 20,700 acres, or about 32 square miles.

Residents of 60 homes southeast of Wolf Creek were evacuated Tuesday, adding to residents of at least 60 other homes that were evacuated earlier.

The fire was moving north toward Holter Lake, a popular recreation area, and through a wildlife management area. It was about 25 percent contained, but crews faced a threat of wind up to 20 mph, said Bonney McNabb, fire information officer.

The Boise-based fire center, the government's logistical support center for fighting wildfires nationwide, ranks large blazes according to the threat they pose to life, property and natural resources, center staffer Tim Swedberg said Wednesday.

Fire managers representing several federal agencies meet twice daily to select those fires that will have first call if additional firefighters or equipment are needed, Swedberg told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

The No. 2 priority fire had covered only about 3,000 acres east of Clinton in western Montana but had led to the evacuation on Tuesday of about 40 homes in the West Fork of Cramer Creek. It was only 10 percent contained Wednesday and was threatening power lines and other structures, Bielenberg said.

Along the southern edge of Glacier National Park, the No. 3 firefighting priority had spread over about 16,000 acres, or some 25 square miles, and was only 5 percent contained. A lodge was evacuated and residents of several homes had been urged to leave.