A federal court in Missoula ruled Friday that the U.S. Forest Service is violating federal law by contaminating waterways with toxic fire retardant.

Under a new state law anyone using an unauthorized drone that interrupts wildfire fighting efforts could now face misdemeanor criminal charges, stiff fines and even jail time.

Smoke from more than a hundred active wildfires in Canada is spreading throughout Montana and affecting air quality across the state.

Gov. Greg Gianforte Tuesday convened federal, state, tribal and local fire officials for a preview of the state’s wildfire readiness. Forecasters say Montana could see normal fire activity this summer.

Firefighters are taking advantage of Montana’s unusually warm weather to ignite some controlled burns to reduce forest fuels. The goal is to prevent or minimize the impact of more destructive fires later in the summer.

A new report is calling on the state to adopt new building codes that would make homes and communities more resilient to wildfires.

More than $9 million of infrastructure funding has been earmarked for wildfire mitigation in Montana. The largest amount will be used for fuel reduction projects in Lincoln County.

People who fly the drones over wildland fires could soon face criminal penalties under a bill gaining traction at the Legislature.

As wildfires in the American West grow more destructive of homes and forests, a new study shows that changing the way fires burn could help forests recover.

New research led by a University of Montana professor shows wildfires in the West are destroying more homes per square mile burned than in previous years. Fire ecologist Philip Higuera is the lead author on the publication and spoke with Montana Public Radio’s Austin Amestoy.