Wildfire Strikes Montana Forest Cooler Weather Helps Crews Fighting Other Western Blazes

A fast-moving wildfire raced across thousands of acres of the Custer National Forest, burning as many as 20 summer homes, injuring two firefighters and prompting an appeal for reinforcements.

Elsewhere in the West, however, the nation’s worst fire season in 39 years seemed to be winding down Thursday as a result of cooler weather. In Oregon, fire bosses were able to release 100 firefighters a day.

Eleven fires totaling more than 212,000 acres were burning Thursday in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, California and Colorado. A week ago, the West had 52 fires burning almost half a million acres.

The 86,533 fires that have burned 5.8 million acres around the nation this year mark the worst wildfire season since 6 million acres burned in 1957.

Fire bosses warned residents on all sides of the Shepard Mountain fire in south-central Montana Thursday to be prepared to evacuate, said fire information officer Linda Williams.

Powerful winds drove the Shepard Mountain fire across thousands of acres of the Custer National Forest late Wednesday and early Thursday.

“It went six miles in four hours,” Williams said.

Winds jumped to 30 mph briefly at mid-day Thursday, but then died down, and officials estimated the fire at 8,000 acres. As late as Tuesday afternoon, it had burned just 650 acres in the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness.

Fire bosses upgraded the fire to a Type 1 blaze Thursday and called for additional firefighters and equipment.

The 80 firefighters that had been battling it Wednesday were pulled back for safety considerations. Some withdrew to a burned-over area at East Rosebud Lake for the night, then hiked out Thursday morning.

Three with minor injuries remained at East Rosebud Lake.

One of two firefighter injured in Wednesday’s blowup was in stable condition with second-degree burns in a Billings, Mont., hospital. The other was treated for shoulder injuries and released.