Montana homes evacuated

HELENA – Residents of another 60-plus homes along the Missouri River north of here were asked to leave Thursday as a wildfire in the popular Gates of the Mountains Wilderness nearly tripled in size, prompting river and recreational closures.

The lightning-sparked Meriwether fire grew from 2,200 acres to 4,050 acres, or more than 6 square miles, by the evening. The new evacuation of some 60 homes in the Eldorado Heights and Nelson areas followed an order affecting about 30 homes in the American Bar area late Wednesday.

The fire was less than 1 1/2 miles from the American Bar homes and 4-5 miles from the Eldorado subdivision.