Necessity is the mother of invention when it comes to firefighting in steep, rugged terrain, so officials are using good old Yankee ingenuity...rigging up a helicopter to drop retardant on the Sawtooth Fire, burning just a few miles from Hamilton.

Fire Information boss Pat McKelvey says the technique seems to be working as he listens to radio traffic between the helicopter pilots and dispatchers. The helicopters are trying to pinpoint drop retardant on steep high terrain to keep the fire from spreading.

McKelvey says the weather has been very cooperative, with very little smoke coming from the fire that now stands at about 420 acres.

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