HELENA, Mont. -
Authorities told residents of about 200 homes to evacuate and pulled firefighters off a fast-growing wildfire in western Montana out of concern for their safety.
The blaze northeast of Missoula, near the popular getaway spots of Seeley and Placid lakes, was stoked on Saturday by wind up to 30 mph.
"This fire is in the hands of God right now," Gov. Brian Schweitzer said after a flight over the blaze, which had burned nearly 8 square miles since starting Friday afternoon.
"We can't risk firefighters' lives," he said.
Elsewhere, California on Sunday was pouring more resources into a fire northwest of Los Angeles that had blackened more than 83 square miles. Michigan authorities said Sunday that a blaze in a northern forest had jumped fire lines.
Montana authorities ordered residents to evacuate about 200 homes scattered around the two lakes, said Jamie Kirby (nyse: KEX - news - people ), a fire information officer. The governor told them to "open the gates, turn the livestock loose, take your pets, shut off the propane at the tank, shut off the electricity and get out."
There were no reports of homes burning, Kirby said. It was not known how close the fire was to the residences, a mix of year-round and vacation homes.
Authorities in northwestern Montana, about 26 miles north of Whitefish, ordered the evacuation of about 50 homes ahead of a fire in the Flathead National Forest. The fire had burned 14,000 acres, or nearly 22 square miles, by Saturday evening.
Another major Montana fire, north of Helena, was last measured at 37,000 acres, or about 58 square miles.
Crews battling a wildfire roughly 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles in California's Santa Barbara County expected a boost from about 50 additional fire engines Sunday, on top of the more than 100 already on the scene, after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency.
"This is a huge fire," county Fire Chief John Scherrei said at an emergency meeting Saturday.
The fire had charred more than 53,500 acres as of Saturday, and officials drew a plan for the possibility it could cover 800,000 acres. It was 70 percent contained Saturday night, with full containment expected Sept. 7, officials said.
The month-old wildfire changed direction Saturday, moving away from hundreds of rural homes and heading into an unpopulated area of dense vegetation, officials said. Evacuation orders remained in effect for about 650 people in the hamlet of Paradise and a camp for delinquent boys.
Elsewhere, Michigan officials said Sunday that a wildfire in a remote area of the Upper Peninsula had pushed past fire lines and grown to about 9,700 acres, or 15 square miles, in dry, hot and windy weather.
No injuries were reported, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said. At least five families had been evacuated, the DNR said. A state highway in the area remained closed Sunday.
In the East, flames had spread through about 4 square miles of pine forest in southern New Jersey's Wharton State Forest. It was 50 percent contained Sunday morning, said Elaine Makatura, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection. No buildings had been damaged, she said.
Authorities told residents of about 200 homes to evacuate and pulled firefighters off a fast-growing wildfire in western Montana out of concern for their safety.
The blaze northeast of Missoula, near the popular getaway spots of Seeley and Placid lakes, was stoked on Saturday by wind up to 30 mph.
"This fire is in the hands of God right now," Gov. Brian Schweitzer said after a flight over the blaze, which had burned nearly 8 square miles since starting Friday afternoon.
"We can't risk firefighters' lives," he said.
Elsewhere, California on Sunday was pouring more resources into a fire northwest of Los Angeles that had blackened more than 83 square miles. Michigan authorities said Sunday that a blaze in a northern forest had jumped fire lines.
Montana authorities ordered residents to evacuate about 200 homes scattered around the two lakes, said Jamie Kirby (nyse: KEX - news - people ), a fire information officer. The governor told them to "open the gates, turn the livestock loose, take your pets, shut off the propane at the tank, shut off the electricity and get out."
There were no reports of homes burning, Kirby said. It was not known how close the fire was to the residences, a mix of year-round and vacation homes.
Authorities in northwestern Montana, about 26 miles north of Whitefish, ordered the evacuation of about 50 homes ahead of a fire in the Flathead National Forest. The fire had burned 14,000 acres, or nearly 22 square miles, by Saturday evening.
Another major Montana fire, north of Helena, was last measured at 37,000 acres, or about 58 square miles.
Crews battling a wildfire roughly 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles in California's Santa Barbara County expected a boost from about 50 additional fire engines Sunday, on top of the more than 100 already on the scene, after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency.
"This is a huge fire," county Fire Chief John Scherrei said at an emergency meeting Saturday.
The fire had charred more than 53,500 acres as of Saturday, and officials drew a plan for the possibility it could cover 800,000 acres. It was 70 percent contained Saturday night, with full containment expected Sept. 7, officials said.
The month-old wildfire changed direction Saturday, moving away from hundreds of rural homes and heading into an unpopulated area of dense vegetation, officials said. Evacuation orders remained in effect for about 650 people in the hamlet of Paradise and a camp for delinquent boys.
Elsewhere, Michigan officials said Sunday that a wildfire in a remote area of the Upper Peninsula had pushed past fire lines and grown to about 9,700 acres, or 15 square miles, in dry, hot and windy weather.
No injuries were reported, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said. At least five families had been evacuated, the DNR said. A state highway in the area remained closed Sunday.
In the East, flames had spread through about 4 square miles of pine forest in southern New Jersey's Wharton State Forest. It was 50 percent contained Sunday morning, said Elaine Makatura, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection. No buildings had been damaged, she said.
