On tonight's evening newscast: There’s a red flag fire warning in effect Saturday for northwestern Montana, stretching from Hamilton and just north of Butte to the Canadian border and Idaho state line.
A red flag warning means “critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly,” the National Weather Service says.
The hot, dry conditions have prompted every county in western Montana to ban the use of fireworks, and public fireworks shows have been cancelled in Whitefish and Flathead County.
But public fireworks displays are still on in Missoula, Butte, Polson and Seeley Lake.
The only large wildfire in Montana at this time is now 50% contained, that’s the Glacier Rim fire just south of Glacier National Park.
Central and eastern Montana are being impacted by smoke from wildfires in Canada, with unhealthy conditions being reported in Malta in Lewistown. The air is unhealthy for sensitive groups in Great Falls, Bozeman, Billings and Birney. Moderate smoke conditions are reported in Butte and Helena.
The founder of the ultra-exclusive Montana club will stay in jail until a federal judge is satisfied that he understands what happened to the money from a Mexican resort sold in violation of a court order.
Executives from the mining company that plans to open a silver mine in the Cabinet Mountains near Libby say their company is staking their future on the mine. Hecla executives say they’re hopeful they can get the necessary permits and approvals to start exploring and mining by 2017.