Sunday afternoon’s red-flag winds brought by a cold front stirred up most of the wildfires across the state, prompting more evacuations over the weekend on four fires in Western Montana. But cooler temperatures, higher humidity and even a bit of rain in spots followed, giving crews a breather and a chance to build more containment […]

There are times when we learn something about ourselves and, in retrospect, we are not happy about our personal discovery. Last week my cell phone died. That’s what I thought at least. In actuality, according to the carrier, all service was down from Whitefish to Missoula for hours. The cause – one of the local […]

Get out of the smoke, chalk up the fingers and climb the indoor wall at The Summit in Kalispell. From novice to expert, The Summit’s 40-feet wide by 30-feet high wall is the perfect place to practice safety and climbing techniques. The wall has about 60 marked routes but improvisation is encouraged and with any […]

Moms and dads sprawled out on the sidelines watching Junior learn the 4 point stance, yep, it’s August all right. The little guys aren’t the only ones hitting the field, the Wildcats started 2-a-days (days with morning and afternoon practices) this past week. Interested in catching the Wildcats 2-a-days and getting a heads up on […]

FRENCHTOWN (AP) – Residents evacuated Thursday from a fast-burning wildfire that threatened more than 200 homes were trying to determine whether theirs were still standing. Mike Rutter watched, in the early Friday darkness, as the lights of fire engines intermingled with flames on a distant hillside near his home. “I’m definitely worried,” he said, sitting […]

Give the Man a Home I find it interesting that cities will claim to be home for celebrities. I am referring to the Bulletin section of the July 11 issue of the Flathead Beacon (Fit For a Yellow Jersey). The article refers to Butte cyclist, Levi Leipheimer, who finished third in the Tour de France […]

As predicted, squirrly winds whipped up several Montana fires Thursday, but others — especially those in central Montana — stayed relatively quiet under thick smoke inversions and cloud cover. The most activity and attention Friday is focused on the Black Cat fire northwest of Missoula and east of Frenchtown, where three mobile homes and several […]

EAST GLACIER (AP) – A 21-year-old man drowned while swimming in Lower Two Medicine Lake, Glacier County Sheriff Wayne Dusterhoff said Friday. The man, whose name hasn’t been released, was swimming with a group of friends Thursday afternoon. “One kid swam across the lake,” Dusterhoff said. “The one who drowned was behind him. He apparently […]

Usually in late July, early August, the fish are hanging out in the deep holes of the river, keeping cool, and chomping the dry flies tossed their way. July’s parade of 90-plus degree days and 80-degree evenings kept the water temperatures creeping up. “For this time of year,” says fishing guide Aaron Manuel, “it’s 3 […]

Whitefish Lake waterfront property isn’t cheap. In fact, adjacent to City Beach, it’s running about $36,000 per foot. The City of Whitefish has its eye on an undeveloped wooded .44-acre lot next to the beach. The negotiated price tag adds up to $3.1 million—a sum the City Council is throwing out to the public for […]

Like many folks, I was hoping Montana had dodged the big bullet the past few days of this fire season. Now I’m not so hopeful. This fire season might still blow up into an unmitigated disaster on a 1910 scale. The Skyland fire boiled at 420 acres for a week only to finally jump off […]

Firefighters have been working to construct fire lines and prep structures in anticipation of the thunderstorms predicted to blow into Western Montana Thursday afternoon. “It’s going to be a challenging day, no doubt about it,” said Bill Swartley, an information officer on the Brush Creek Fire. The Brush Creek Fire, 25 miles west of Whitefish, […]

The Flathead is growing, but it’s not quite London or Paris yet. Still, suspicions are mounting among some valley residents that what appear to be cameras peering down from traffic signals at major intersections represent a new intrusion into privacy. It’s an atmosphere some find practically European. After receiving an e-mail questioning the nature of […]

Firefighting efforts on the 24,190-acre Jocko Lakes Fire west of Seeley Lake were “steady and smooth” Wednesday, said fire information officer Lori Wiertsema. Crews made good progress on the fire’s unruly north and south flanks, where most of the activity has been over the past few days. By Wednesday night, the fire was up to […]

Highway 83 reopened Wednesday morning, but officials warn drivers to watch for fire fighting traffic and slower speed limits. Travel along the highway will close to the public between 8 and 10 in the morning, and from 8 to 10 at night. The only evacuations remaining are at Eagle Point Subdivision, Snowmass Drive, and Westside […]