I know other states are battling wild fires and have been. It's Montana's turn and things might just be as bad as it could get. Fires popping up all over. Resource's are completely overwhelmed and inadequate. Might as well be dropping dollar bills on them. Humidity is dam near single digits. Wind is kicking up. It is not looking good. We need a change in the weather but hot, hot, hot and dry, dry dry predicted for the extended forecast. People in MT. are tough, independent, hardworking and help each other. All that is about to be tested tenfold I am afraid.
We have been battling several big fires for weeks already. We did not need more for sure. Some sleepless nights and hard days ahead.

Please keep the Big Sky and its people in your prayer.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: old rugged cross,

You are in my family's prayers. Please keep us up to date as to how you are doing.

Good luck to y'all.

When you are facing something bigger than yourself, it matters not how big the monster in someone else's closet.

Prayers and good wishes to anyone in need.

No matter what.

Mark, is there anything you need. Please email me.
God bless.

I have a buddy out there, and he says air quality is at unhealthy for everyone, and visibility is 1-2 miles max.

As Sigmonkey so apply put it...monsters come in different shapes and sizes...sometimes they are sopping wet and other times they are bone dry...but they cause suffering to good folks just the same

You and the good folks of Montana facing this are in my prayers and thoughts this night.

At 530 pm today the temp was 96 degrees and the RH was 10. We have had about 20% of normal rainfall for the year. Last rain that wet the pavement was like 60+ days back. Some areas their last measurable precipitation was more than 200 days ago.

Eighteen LARGE wildfires burning statewide right now. Currently just over 500,000 acres have been burnt. Extended, 14 day forecast shows ZERO possibility of any precipitation.

Thirty to forty mile per hour winds predicted for tomorrow.

We had a long, unrelenting Winter. Then a brief Spring...then right to HOT weather. I had green grass for all of SIX weeks this Spring. Then we turned right to summer.

This has not been a good Year for ALL of Montana.

Lord, floods in the SW and fires in the West & North It'd be nice if the precipitation would spread itself around a bit.

Fire in the Bear's Paw Mtns about 30 miles south of me. I don't normally ask for winter to show up early, but I'll make an exception this year.

Thank you all.

What i should of asked is to please add MT and its people to your prayers for those in TX and other places who are in need of them. As we know. Every prayer is answered.

Thank you again.

Absolutely you and the folks in Montana will be in my thoughts and prayers. I've spent a fair amount of time in Red Lodge and Great Falls and have come to absolutely love the state.

Just got home from helping some good friends move their horses and valuables. They've got one hell of a good one going on the ridge right above their property. Lightning start yesterday and it just took off. Sheriff's office advised them evac is not mandatory...yet, but they aren't taking any chances as they've only got one way in and one way out. It's ripping right now and lighting up the sky about three miles west of my place. I'll be perfectly fine, but they and several other friends are in a pickle.

Just went outside and snapped this.



I thought we were going to dodge a bullet this summer, but apparently not.

Praying for MT!

best of luck. I know the anxiety of close fires and it's not a fun feeling in the slightest.

Crawler on the TV screen just advised that tomorrow is going to be an interesting day.

Below 10% humidity and 30MPH west winds predicted with potentially more dry lightning.

Yep, as I said in my title and op.

Yet another interesting example of news focus. Because of the dense haze yesterday during our morning walk I asked my friend if there were fires anywhere, and neither of us could recall having heard of any recent problems.

All the best and be safe.

Good Luck to those afflicted by the fires out West.

I'll add that two wildland firefighters have been killed battling Montana blazes this summer. Brent Witham, 29, with the Vista Grande Hotshots, was killed when struck by a tree on the Lolo Peak Fire.

Trenton Johnson, just 19 years old, with Grayback Forestry was also killed when struck by a tree back on July 20. This occurred on the Lolo NF.