Rain has helped battle fires in western Montana; however, the weather hasn’t been as kind in Eastern Montana. Fire Information Officer Jon Cohn says they have been seeing a lot of wind and lightning.

"Sunday evening we had a batch of lightning that started a couple of fires," Cohn said. "About 5:45 pm, engines were on high points watching for lightning and spotted the Pine Ridge Fire. It burned fiercely westward through grass and sage brush toward the Little Big Horn River from its start just east of Crow agency. The gusts were blowing 50 mph in the storm that lit it."

Cohn estimates the fire at 1700 acres, but says the estimate is hard to come by.

"You know, fires don't burn in a rectangle they create a mosaic or spotty jigsaw puzzle shape," Cohn said. "This was a wind driven fire so it's long and thin with fingers of burned and unburned grass on the edges. It added another 60 acres or so yesterday."

The Pine Ridge Fire was reported 75 percent contained as of Tuesday, July 28.

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