Wildfires Burn In Northern Montana

A fire east of Havre has burned at least an estimated 7,000 acres, but there have been no evacuations.

Blaine County Emergency Manager Haley Gustitis tells the Great Falls Tribune the fire was mostly contained Tuesday along the Milk River about 10 miles west of Chinook.

Another fire sparked by a downed power line north of Great Falls has spread to about 6,000 acres, according to Cascade County Disaster Emergency Services Coordinator Vince Kolar.

About 100 people were asked to leave. Kolar says non-essential employees of a PPL Montana construction project at Rainbow Dam were asked to leave.

The Montana Highway Patrol reports two multiple-vehicle crashes on U.S. 87 were due to the fire and blowing sand that had reduced visibility to almost zero.