Residents Allowed Home Near Several Montana Fires

Wednesday, August 22nd 2007, 2:23 pm

By: News On 6

HELENA, Mont. (AP) _ Residents evacuated from homes near several Montana wildfires were allowed to return at least briefly Wednesday as fire crews took advantage of cooler, more humid weather.

The temperature was expected to rise again, but firefighters expected their line to hold between the town of Seeley Lake and a blaze that had covered 34,810 acres, or 54 square miles. It was 33 percent contained.

People were allowed to return to about 150 residences in the area Wednesday morning.

Northwest of Missoula, most people evacuated from 120 homes were being allowed to return. Fire officials said a quarter-inch of rain that fell allowed them to rein in the 18-square-mile fire that had forced the residents out.

That fire, which burned three mobile homes, was 35 percent contained Wednesday morning, up from 12 percent on Monday.

South of Big Timber, evacuees were allowed to return for a few hours during the morning to check on homes near part of a 28,500-acre wildfire. Containment was up to 40 percent.

On the West Coast, a wildfire in the Los Padres National Forest had charred about 222,900, about 365 square miles, by Wednesday to become the second-largest blaze in California's modern history.

More than 3,100 firefighters were battling the blaze, assisted by 30 aircraft and bulldozers. The fire was 80 percent contained, but some areas were so rugged that firefighters had to rappel down ropes from helicopters, officials said.

The fire was about 17 miles north of the Ventura County community of Ojai and 10 miles east of Montecito and Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County. Residents of 30 to 40 ranches in those counties were advised to move large animals out of the area and be prepared to get out themselves.