Major Montana fires ease but lightning sparks more

BILLINGS — Fire crews working in cooler temperatures Friday made gains on major wildfires threatening homes in central and southern Montana, but lightning continued to spark new blazes and the heat was expected return in coming days.

A mandatory evacuation for 20 to 30 homes south of Columbus was downgraded to voluntary, and significant progress was reported on a fire north of Winnett.

Meanwhile, crews scrambled to squelch several new small fires caused by lightning in Fergus County, along Ambrose Creek in the Bitterroot Valley, and on private land south of the Big Snowy Mountains in central M...