Wildfire burns into central Montana town, destroys houses

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A late-season wildfire pushed by strong winds ripped through a tiny central Montana farming town overnight, burning several homes and grain elevators that had stood for more than a century, authorities said.

Officials were assessing the damage in Denton on Thursday morning while crews continued to fight the fire.

The fire burned “around 25 structures to include grain elevators and bridges,” the Fergus County Sheriff's Office posted on social media Thursday morning. “Rural fire agencies are continuing to work to prevent any further spread or damage. This work will continue for several more days.”

About 300 residents of the town were evacuated early Wednesday afternoon when a fire that was started by a downed power line in an adjacent county the night before pushed across the drought-stricken agricultural land.

Read more: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Wildfire-burns-into-central-Montana-town-16669098.php