wildfire

The 2026 summer wildfire season continues, but conditions are starting to improve in parts of western Montana

The lightning-caused Nature Grove fire, 13 miles east of Hamilton, has grown to nearly 900 acres. Fire managers say it’s burning in steep, dense timber and understory vegetation. They’re expecting that activity to increase over the next couple of days.

With all the wildfire smoke in Montana skies this summer, have you been surprised it doesn’t always smell smokey? Or that it smelled like a campfire under clear skies? It turns out there’s a lot that goes into our perception of smoke and how it squares with the Air Quality Index.

Nearly 45-million acres of national forest lands that have been protected for 25 years could open up to logging. The Trump administration Tuesday proposed a new regulation that would remove what’s known as the “roadless rule.” MTPR’s Aaron Bolton spoke with Ellis Juhlin from the Montana Free Press about the latest in a decades-old fight over where the federal government allows logging.

Feeling especially tired, irritable, unfocused, physically ill and even depressed these days? You’re not the only one. Heavy wildfire smoke from Oregon and Washington is making air quality across the state unhealthy, which comes with several impacts.

At 2:30 p.m. Saturday, the Beaverhead County Sheriff, in coordination with fire officials and local cooperators, ordered evacuations to begin for Elkhorn Hot Springs and Maverick Mountain, including all communities south to Shale Creek and Clark Creek on the north end of Grasshopper Valley.

The Bitterroot National Forest Friday raised its fire danger level to "Extreme," the highest level. Under these conditions fires start quickly, spread furiously, and burn intensely.

Montana fire officials are bracing for another round of critical fire weather this weekend. Any fires that develop over the next several days will spread rapidly and be very difficult to control.

The Granite County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order at 11 a.m. Thursday for residents within the Frogpond Basin due to the nearby Moose Fire. Residents are directed to evacuate immediately. Deputies are conducting door-to-door notifications to inform residents of this status change.

The Flathead County Sheriff's Office issued an evacuation order at 3 p.m. Saturday for areas near Olney due to the nearby Skillet fire.