Montana News Roundup: Mystery Blaze Starts Fire Season

Montana's fire season is off to an unexpected early start after a major fire erupts at the north end of the Big Hole Valley, burning over 1500 acres.

Fire investigators are unsure what started the Sawlog Fire, which is burning on Forest Service and BLM land northeast of Wisdom. They say no prescribed burning operations were underway in the area where the blaze was first spotted at 50-to-70 acres on Thursday afternoon. It was fanned by winds, warm temperatures, and low humidity on Friday and Saturday.

Immediate access to the area on the south side of the Big Hole River was difficult because of high water and snowmelt on the river.

     -The blaze is adjacent to two other major burns that happened in 2021.

READ MORE: Summer Could Be Dangerous on This Popular River

Some Montana Towns Still Worried About Border Crossings

We're hearing much more about the drop in illegal border crossings recently. But Jason Laird reports communities along the HiLine are still worried, especially after one recent case, where more than 20 people were caught in two vans during an early morning attempt.

Helena Woman Killed in Late-Night ATV Crash

Montana Highway Patrol investigators say speed, drugs, and alcohol may have all been factors in an ATV crash that killed a 53-year-old Helena woman over the weekend.

Troopers say the victim was driving the Polaris side-by-side on Stemple Pass Road near Canyon Creek when she lost control going around a curve. The ATV went into a skid, catching a tire and then going into a roll.

     -The victim wasn't restrained and was thrown from the vehicle and killed.

A Legendary Montana Club Makes a Comeback

The Montana Club in Helena, not to be confused with the chain of restaurants, dates back to 1885, but filed for bankruptcy in 2023.

Now, the Montana Free Press reports the club is reopening under new ownership. The Rathskeller, a speakeasy-themed bar, opened last week after a major remodeling. And additional areas of the club are coming back online as well, with owner Ajitpal Pannu saying the club will offer limited memberships, giving patrons an updated chance to experience the historic club the "way it used to be."

Montana Monday Math

The Montana Club was started in 1885 by a group of 50 leading men in Helena, including bankers, attorneys, politicians (of course, in Helena), as well as leaders in mining, ranching, and timber. It was touted as the "longest-continuously open private club" between Seattle and Minneapolis, before it was reopened as a cooperative in 2018.

The current building was constructed in 1905, after the original club location burned.