Homeowners in Montana are facing challenges to find– and pay for– insurance due to rising wildfire risk.

Firefighters jump out of planes or dig miles of line to try and stop a fire’s spread. Some do this while pregnant. For women in firefighting, balancing careers with the demands of motherhood can often force them out of the jobs they love. But a new group of women in fire is trying to change that.

Schools kept students inside for recess and athletics Monday as a thick blanket of smoke smothered western and central Montana. New research aims to better understand air quality inside schools.

Dry conditions and gusty winds fueled fire growth on the Sharrott Creek Fire near Stevensville and the Johnson Fire near the Springer Memorial Community, prompting new evacuations for the latter.

The Johnson Fire burning three miles south of the Springer Memorial Community swelled to 3,810 acres over Labor Day weekend, prompting new evacuations. Residents living on Little East Fork Road and Frog Pond Basin are under an evacuation order, meaning they must clear the area immediately.

Firefighters have slowed growth on the Sharrott Creek Fire burning west of Stevensville, and reached 40% containment on the Big Hollow Fire in Southwest Montana.

The Big Hollow fire burning 14 miles west of Grant in Beaverhead County grew to an estimated 3,400 acres over the weekend.

The Ravalli County Sheriff's Office around 9 p.m. Friday ordered evacuations due to the Sharrott Creek Fire burning 1,600 acres in the Saint Mary's area.

The Powell County Sheriff’s office has issued an evacuation warning due to a fire burning near Helmville. The Ravalli County Sheriff has issued an evacuation warning due to a fire burning in the Saint Mary’s area. An Evacuation Warning means residents should prepare to evacuate if conditions worsen.

State and federal officials are lifting fire restrictions in several northwest Montana counties.