A new law passed by the Legislature this year requires local governments to consider climate change in their 20-year comprehensive plans beginning in 2025.
The Colt fire on Sunday had spread to 3,000 acres with no containment. More than 260 fire personnel are now on scene, along with five helicopters and 13 engines.
A Missoula County judge will decide by Friday whether a new gravel pit near Elbow Lake and the Clearwater Game Range can continue operations while the pit is being challenged.
Recent high temperatures helped a Swan Valley wildfire spread on Saturday, prompting the Missoula County Sheriff's Office to issue a mandatory evacuation order for residents in the area.
On Friday afternoon as temperatures neared 100 degrees, the Colt Fire was estimated at about 200 acres but was growing in all directions, burning in heavy, dead and downed timber with frequent torching and spotting.
As growth expands into rural areas around Missoula, infrastructure will be needed to guide and sustain it, but not all communities may be receptive to the upgrades, a recent survey found.
With Oregon’s wildfire season underway, a federal judge in Oregon will decide whether the U.S. Forest Service can authorize logging projects without public input or assessing environmental impacts in the name of wildfire prevention.