BILLINGS – Wildfires burning in Montana exploded in size over the past 24 hours and triggered evacuations of people from rural areas as scorching heat and heavy winds stoked the blazes.
In the Big Belt Mountains east of Townsend, firefighters pulled back from the blaze and into safety zones on Tuesday afternoon when the blaze began moving so fast and hot that it became unsafe to try to stop it, said Erin Fryer with the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
A state fire helicopter later crash landed in the heavy winds and caught fire, but only minor injuries were reported for one of the crew, the Independent Record reported.
The fire burning in timber and grass in the Deep Creek area of grew at least tenfold overnight Tuesday. from less than one square mile to more than three square miles. An unknown number of structures were destroyed, Fryer said.
A fire burning south of the tourist town of Red Lodge near the Wyoming border grew from about 3 square miles to more than 31 square miles by Wednesday morning, prompting a rapid evacuation of houses in the path of the blaze, said fire spokesperson Amy Hyfield.
Hyfield said fire crews were deployed to protect houses but it was not immediately known if any burned. No injuries were reported.