The Middle Ridge Fire did the unexpected Sunday, and crossed the Flathead River, forcing evacuations and alerts in the area west of Ronan. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
July 31, 2023
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August 3, 2023 midnight
Circle of fire: Four blazes fanned by high winds
The dry lightning that strode across western Montana Saturday night was bad enough, starting a line of fires from north of Dixon to Niarada. But when winds, reportedly gusting up to 40 mph, kicked up Sunday afternoon, fires that seemed manageable suddenly weren’t.