Fires, dry summer turn Montana into scorched, 'very brown landscape'

Winds and high temperatures were expected to create critical wildfire conditions this weekend in parts of Colorado, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Wyoming and nearly all of Montana -- where three new large fires started Friday, adding to the 100 square miles that have burned there in recent days. Crews are battling 10 uncontained fires in Montana, the worst of which is the 19 Mile wildfire. A dozen homes have been destroyed there and 125 more are threatened at that fire alone. Campers hoping to spend Labor Day weekend in popular spots were told to stay away due to the danger. The fires and dry summer have left much of Montana either scorched or brown. Billings has seen its driest summer on record, the National Weather Service's Billings office reported on its Facebook page, as well as its second warmest...more