Wildfire burns into central Montana town, destroys houses

By AMY BETH HANSON
Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A late-season wildfire pushed by strong winds has ripped through a tiny central Montana farming town, burning several homes and grain elevators that had stood for more than a century. Fergus County officials were assessing the damage in Denton on Thursday while crews continued to fight the fire, which had burned 22 square miles of prairie and agricultural land. No one was hurt. About 300 residents were evacuated early Wednesday afternoon when a fire that had started in a nearby county the night before pushed across the drought-stricken agricultural land. The evacuation order was expected to be lifted at noon Thursday. Officials say 25 structures, including bridges, were lost.