In general it’s been a fairly quiet couple of days for wildfires in Montana, with cooler temperatures and higher humidities in the northwest.
Between Helena and Great Falls, Montana's Department of Natural Resources and Conservation reported an active fire day on fires near Holter Lake.
Up around Libby, firefighters reported minimal fire spread on the Goat Rock Complex of 7 fires burning about 8,500 acres in Lincoln and Sanders County.
Further north, around Noxon and Clark Fork Idaho, some of the nearly 400 people fighting fires on the Clark Fork Complex have started demobilizing.
Southwest of Alberton the 12,000 acre West Fork Fish Creek Fire was that started August 14th was at zero percent containment as of this morning.
West of Heart Butte fire officials reported limited growth on the four fires there that have consumed more than 57,000 acres.
A federal appeals court has rejected Montana's request to rehear their defense of state campaign contribution limits.
In related news, Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices will begin two days of public hearings Wednesday on a complete rewrite of the rules that govern election campaigns in the state, especially political donations.
Montana's construction sector is making gains, but still isn't back to pre-recession levels.
An attorney for a Louisiana oil company is asking a judge to reject the government's proposed timeline for lifting its hold on an energy lease in Montana that's on land sacred to American Indians.
A man suspected of dropping a cigarette and causing a fire that burned at least three homes in August is facing a charge in Flathead County.
A federal appeals court has revived a bid by environmentalists to block drilling on some public lands in Montana until the government looks more closely at climate change impacts.