Montana
Destructive wildfire in southeastern Montana forces evacuations and claims land
BIRNEY — The Remington fire has taken over southeastern Montana, and as of Sunday afternoon, has burned over 196,000 acres and is at 0% containment, according to MT Fire Info.
The fire first began in Wyoming on Thursday but quickly crossed the Montana-Wyoming border spreading rapidly, affecting Rosebud, Powder River, and Big Horn counties.
Pre-evacuation orders are in place for residences on Tongue River Road between Ashland and Birney, the town of Birney, East-Fork Hanging Woman Road to the Rosebud county line and Odell Creek Road to Ashland. Tribal resources were staged at the Birney Community Hall throughout the night to help fight the fire. By Saturday morning, due to backburning efforts, Birney residents were allowed to safely return home, according to the Northern Cheyenne Incident Command.
Steve Bourne
“If it had kept going and if the [fire fighters] hadn’t been back, Birney itself as a town would not be there,” said Birney resident Laurel Fjell. “It’s a rude awakening.”
The Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook that the fire was being successfully managed by multiple crews throughout Saturday, but that people should still be on the lookout in the area for hazardous situations.
The Remington fire has affected rural communities and ranchers in the area. Many have seen a loss of land, fencing, structures, and livestock.
“It’s kind of a regular thing. Every year we have at least one to two big giant fires that kind of spooks everybody. For the years that I’ve lived here, this is probably the worst one that I’ve seen,” said Birney rancher Jacob Knoblock.
Those who live in the area are usually prepared to jump into action when fires occur. Knoblock said that he and his family have water tanks and sprayers on their trucks to help fight fires.
“We set up a plan to help start back burning over there to make sure it doesn’t jump the road and go into our permits,” said Knoblock.
Knoblock and his neighbors lost a significant amount of cattle initially but are still in the process of relocating them. He also said that while they are lucky the fire missed their house, they still lost almost 1,000 acres of land.
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
“Grazing land. That’s kind of all that’s really burned up. Our hay fields are okay, so that’s always good, but just fencing. I have to go through and fix fences again,” said Knoblock.
Others in the town of Birney also attempted to fight the fire but were worried about the uncertainty and severity of the burn.
“I’ve been fighting fires for over 60 years here, and this is way the worst that I’ve ever seen,” said resident Butch Fjell.
For the Fjell family, the fire was dangerously close to their surrounding neighbors’ houses in Birney. They came to help the backburning efforts near Hanging Woman Creek, but that situation turned into a close call when a tree exploded near them.
“I was in the crossfire. The heat was so enormous that it blistered my knees and my right hand has blisters on it and my ear,” said Laurel Fjell. “To me, it was a close-to-death experience. I’d never ever experienced anything like that before.”
Fjell suffered major burns but was able to treat them. Her grandson, Grayson Fjell, witnessed the fire and jumped into action to make sure she was alright.
“I was in the fire truck on that tree blew up and she was outside and so I didn’t know really what to do,” said Grayson. “I burnt a little bit on my finger and my elbow because I tried to go out the door, but all that heat just on that metal was scorching hot. It was pretty scary for having her outside the pick-up.”
Laurel Fjell
Lots in the community have come together to offer assistance and help. In Lame Deer, the Boys and Girls Club of the Northern Cheyenne Nation has been established as a shelter for those needing a safe place to go.
“Last night, we did have eight people here and we currently have a capacity of 20 but can expand quite quickly,” said Emma Harris, the Boys and Girls accountant.
The shelters were open to those evacuating from Ashland, as fire crews were worried the fire was heading in that direction. For now, the community is safe, but those pre-evacuation orders are still in effect.
“People are scheduled to be here all through the night in case that situation becomes a little bit more unsafe and people need to be evacuated,” said Harris.
The fire has the potential to spread, but the assistance from many firefighters all over the area hopes to stop it.
“It has given me an enormous respect for all these firefighters that are risking their life every day and our local firefighters,” said Laurel.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Jan. 27, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 27 drawing
04-20-38-56-66, Mega Ball: 05
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 27 drawing
01-10-32-37-48, Lucky Ball: 09
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Jan. 27 drawing
09-21-27-28, Bonus: 06
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
KALISPELL, Mont. — Two app development teams from Code Girls United won the Congressional App Challenge in both Montana districts.
A team with Lily Kirkaldie, Charlie Kotthoff, and Danica Sabo from Great Falls won with their app ‘Cursive Create’.
The app helps teach cursive writing, which the team said is important since cursive is no longer taught in schools.
Three senior students from Browning High School, Aiyahna Green, Kalani Sun Rhodes, and Keesha Guerrero-Gobert, won with their app ‘Sspomo’.
This app provides awareness and resources for people facing mental health challenges, and was inspired by the Blackfeet tribe.
“They were really thoughtful about their community and what was affecting the people that they knew on the reservation, and what they could actually do to help them,” said Code Girls United CEO Marianne Smith.
“What they were seeing in the community was depression and other mental health issues, so they specifically wanted to create an app that would be able to help people that were in that same situation,” said Smith.
Both teams will travel to Washington D.C. for the National Science Fair’s ‘House of Code’, where they will showcase their apps in the U.S. Capitol.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (1)
The event is scheduled for April 21 and 22.
LIBBY, Mont. — Residents impacted by last December’s flooding and windstorms had the opportunity to get answers Monday as the Montana State Auditor’s Office hosted an open house in Libby.
The event was aimed at helping homeowners across Libby, Troy and the surrounding areas surrounding in Lincoln County navigate insurance claims and recovery efforts following the severe weather that caused widespread damage.
Staff from the Montana State Auditor’s Office were on hand to answer questions from residents dealing with property and casualty insurance claims tied to the storms.
“People here in Libby and Troy and all across Lincoln County were victims of these horrible weather events that we’ve had,” said David Sanders, chief of staff for the Montana State Auditor’s Office. “A lot of people had property and casualty claims on their homes.”
According to the Auditor’s Office, consumer protection and education are key components of the recovery process.
In addition to speaking directly with residents, officials also met with community leaders and toured damaged areas to better understand the impact of the storms.
“We just wanted to make sure that we could pull people together and show them that they are not alone,” Sanders said. “The state government can help them with some of the information they require to put their lives back together.”
The Montana State Auditor’s Office says events like this help connect residents with valuable resources as communities continue to recover from natural disasters.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Residents are encouraged to contact the office directly for additional insurance guidance.
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