New evacuation orders and pre-evacuation warnings went into effect Monday in western and central Montana, and air quality took a dive across much of the state.

Evacuation orders are in effect for Belt Park in Cascade County, and evacuation warnings are in effect for areas near Troy and Thompson Falls. In central Montana, five firefighters were injured Thursday afternoon while battling a lightning-caused fire.

New restrictions on campfires or smoking on public lands start Monday in parts of NW Montana. The Stage II restrictions come as the state faces a severe drought, more hot weather ahead and firefighting resources stretched thin.

Some health officials worry COVID-19 cases could increase among the unvaccinated as people head indoors to escape hot, smokey weather.

The National Interagency Fire Center reports there were 5 new fire starts in Montana on Monday, prompting minimal initial attacks by federal, state and local firefighters. Two of the fires were contained or controlled by late Monday. Evacuation warnings and orders are in effect in some areas.

The Northern Rockies Coordination Center reports 16 new fire starts in Montana. The largest of the new fires is the 600-acre Anderson Hill Fire in southwestern Montana’s Granite County.

Firefighting resources are stretched to capacity and there’s no end in sight to the hot and dry conditions fueling the 2021 wildfire season.

The Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office has issued an evacuation order for all 17 houses in the Alder Creek area as a nearby wildfire burns south of highway 43 and the Wise River. Critical fire conditions are occurring in southwest and central Montana, and burn restrictions go into effect across northwest Montana.

Updated 07/12/21, 6:30 p.m.The most active of three wildfires burning in southeast Montana’s Yellowstone and Musselshell counties doubled in size over the…

Updated 6:13 p.m., July 11, 2021The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the U.S. Forest Service has asked the residents of Belt…