Fires continue to burn across Montana

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) %u2014 Grasses that flourished with spring moisture are being dried out by summer heat and brisk winds and turning into fast-burning fuels for area wildfires.

At least three fires are burning in Montana, with the largest %u2014 the roughly 4,800-acre Big Horn fire in southeast Montana %u2014 burning through rugged, tree-lined terrain, grasses and sage, Mark Heppler, assistant manager of the Billings Dispatch Center, which helps coordinate resources, said Wednesday.

About 200 firefighters were on that fire, which was started by lightning on the Crow Indian reservation and is not threatening any buildings or communities, he said.