Montana

Governor Gianforte Speaks Out On Fire Response As Wildfires Increase Across The State

Published

10 months ago

May 9, 2025

Governor Gianforte Speaks Out On Fire Response As Wildfires Increase Across The State

Fire season is moving closer every day, and with a forecast for warmer, drier conditions, with budget cuts creating uncertainties for staffing in the federal fire crews.

But Governor Greg Gianforte says he’s “very proud” of the state’s fire crews, and not worried if the Forest Service is dealing with cuts.

When I asked him about that a few weeks ago, he expressed frustration stemming from last year, when the state raised questions about the federal response to a major fire near Helena.

“We had a commitment from them, that they would pursue full suppression on all fires, provided we didn’t put wildfires at risk.” -Gov Gianforte

“Then, this past fire season, we caught them sitting on their hands,” Gianforte complains. “They were literally watching fires burn, with aviation assets available to them. With ground crews available to them.”

🔥 The governor believes new leadership at the Forest Service will help solve those issues, and in any event, he says the DNRC is ready.

Progress on Montana’s First Big Fire of ’25

Firefighters are continuing to make headway on the Sawlog Fire, burning at the north end of the Big Hole Valley.

-Updated mapping has the blaze at just over 1400 acres.

A skidgen picks up a load of water at the Sawlog Fire; USFS photo

Fire crews have been working on “mop-up” operations as they build and improve containment lines around the blaze, which erupted last week. They have 20% containment, and are continuing to try and keep the fire from getting closer to structures along the Highway 43 corridor north of Wisdom.

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Montana FWP has placed an emergency closure along the Big Hole River in the vicinity of the Sawlog Fire. The river is closed for fishing and other activities from the Mud Creek Bridge downstream to the Sportsman’s Park Fishing Access. The Fish Trap Fishing Access is also closed.

Hundreds of Montana Fires Already

While the Sawlog Fire is the first major blaze in the state this year, it’s far from the first. In fact, Montana DNRC says there have already been 268 wildfires so far in 2025, with 17 new fires just this week and 12 active fires right now. Most of those are in Western Montana, and have burned less than 10 acres each. But it illustrates how quickly conditions are drying out.

Speed Kills Teens in Billings

Billings Police investigators are now saying speed was the primary factor in a double fatality crash in the early hours of Wednesday morning at East Airport Road and Rimrock Drive.

Officers have determined that the driver of the car lost control, causing it to roll off the road. Three of the four people inside were ejected, with two girls, ages 16 and 18, killed.

-No charges have been filed, and the investigation continues.

One Killed in Highway 89 Crash

We’re still waiting for details on that deadly crash that happened east of Great Falls on Highway 89 yesterday morning. The accident, which involved a fire, completely blocked the highway for a time. The victim hasn’t been identified.

No More Twin Cities Connection from the Electric City

Great Falls is losing an important air connection, although there are still some options for travelers, as Jason Laird explains, Delta is dropping a flight.

Montana Friday Fun Fact

✈️ Montana Airports are a LOT busier since the pandemic. The Montana Department of Transportation reported over 3.1 million passengers had flown through the state’s major airports by December.

Average Summer Temperatures In Montana’s Largest Cities

Gallery Credit: Nick Northern

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Montana

Your guide to local sports events, plus what’s on TV

Published

9 hours ago

March 2, 2026

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Your guide to local sports events, plus what’s on TV

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Montana

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

Published

21 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

HELENA — You probably have goals and plans for 2026—the Montana Department of Agriculture does too.

“We’re really focusing on innovative agricultural practices,” Montana Department of Agriculture director Jillien Streit said.

It’s no secret that agriculture—farming and ranching—is not easy. There are long days, planning, monitoring crops and livestock, and other challenges beyond farmers’ and ranchers’ control.

(WATCH: Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026)

Montana Department of Agriculture focusing on innovation in 2026

“We have very low commodity prices across the board,” Streit said. “We still have very high input prices across the board, and we have really high prices when it comes to our equipment, and so, it’s a really tough year.”

But innovation, including new practices, partnerships and technology use, can help navigate some of those challenges.

“We can’t make more time and we can’t make more land, so we need to start putting together innovative practices that help us maximize what our time and land can do,” Streit said.

Practices range from using technology like autonomous tractors and virtual fencing—allowing rangers to contain and move cattle right from their phones—to regenerative farming and ranching.

“It is bringing cattle back into farming operations to be able to work with cover cropping practices to invigorate the soil for new soil health benefits,” Streit said.

The Montana Department of Agriculture is working to help producers learn, share, and collaborate on new ideas to work in their operations.

The department will share stories of practices that work from farms and ranches across the state. Also, within the next year or so, Streit said the department is hoping to roll out technology to help producers collaborate.

“(It’s) providing a communication platform where people can get together and really help each other out by utilizing each other’s assets,” she said.

While not easy, agriculture is still one of Montana’s largest industries, and Streit said innovating and sharing ideas across the state can keep it going long into the future.

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Montana

Frontier Conference women: MSU-Northern, Montana Western pull upsets to advance to semifinal round

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

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Frontier Conference women: MSU-Northern, Montana Western pull upsets to advance to semifinal round

BUTTE — MSU-Northern and Montana Western pulled a pair of upsets Saturday at the Butte Civic Center to wrap up the quarterfinal round of the Frontier Conference women’s basketball postseason tournament.

The fifth-seeded Skylights started the day with a red-hot shooting performance to down No. 4 Rocky Mountain College 82-74. Western, the sixth seed, used a third-quarter surge to defeat No. 3 Carroll College 65-56.

MSU-Northern (17-11) and Western (14-13) now advance to Sunday’s semifinal round, where the Skylights will play No. 1 seed Dakota State at noon and the Bulldogs will face No. 2 Montana Tech at 2:30 p.m.

MSU-Northern 82, Rocky Mountain College 74

MSU-Northern sizzled in the first quarter, making seven 3-pointers to take a double-digit lead, and put together a crucial third-quarter run to get past Rocky and advance to the semifinal round.

Becky Melcher splashed four 3s in the first 10 minutes, and Taya Trottier, Canzas HisBadHorse and Shania Moananu added one apiece as the Skylights built a 29-13 lead. Melcher scored 14 first-quarter points and finished with a game-high 30 on 10-of-19 shooting (7 of 15 from 3-point range). She added 11 rebounds, a blocked shot and three steals to her stat line.

Rocky battled back to tie the game at 36-36 in the second quarter on a Brenna Linse basket, but MSUN responded with consecutive triples from Trottier and Melcher and took a 44-38 lead into halftime. The Bears eventually stole the lead back in the third quarter following a 9-0 run capped be an Isabelle Heggem bucket.

But the Skylights again answered — this time with a 13-2 run to take a 60-51 lead. MSUN led 66-59 going to the fourth and wouldn’t trail the rest of the way. The Skylights trailed for less than two total minutes of the game.

As a team, MSUN made 14 of 26 3s in the game. Ciera Agasiva was 3 for 3 from behind the arc, and Trottier was 2 for 3. Trottier had 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Agasiva had 13 points.

Paige Wasson led Rocky (20-9) with 29 points but was 0 for 10 on 3-point attempts. Heggem had a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Montana Western 65, Carroll 56

After neither team led by more than five points in the first half, Western broke open a 25-25 tie game by outscoring Carroll 20-9 in the third quarter.

Bailee Sayler scored 10 points in the quarter, including making two 3-pointers, to help the Bulldogs take control. They led 45-34 going to the fourth, and Carroll wouldn’t get closer than six points the rest of the way.

The Fighting Saints were just 18-of-65 shooting (27.7%) for the game.

Sayler scored an efficient 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting. She was 2 for 3 from 3-point range and 6 for 7 at the free throw line. The Missoula native also had nine rebounds.

Isabella Lund added 16 points for the Bulldogs, and Keke Davis had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Carroll (19-10) was led by Kenzie Allen with 12 points. Willa Albrecht and Meagan Karstetter scored 11 points apiece for the Saints.

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