Montana News Roundup: It’s Fire Season- Check Those Bug Out Bags

With a return to hot, dry weather this weekend, and more wind in the forecast, fire crews will be bracing for more fire starts across the state.

The number of fire starts has tailed off since the cooler, wetter weather this week, but Montana DNRC reports there are still 45 active blazes across the state.

    🔥 None of the contained fires are over 200 acres, and most of the new fire starts have been under 10 acres.

Now's the time to be ready

Even so, the American Red Cross of Montana is reminding people to double-check their evacuation plans and "go" bags, as we head into the heart of the fire season.

Communications Director Matt Ochsner says it's critical for residents to review their response before the order comes from authorities to leave. He says it's also important for residents to discuss evacuation routines with their neighbors and immediately follow orders if it comes time to leave.

And he says everyone should double-check their "bug out bags" to make sure they're fully packed and reflect what you currently need. Here's a recommended checklist.

      If you'd like to volunteer to help, you can always sign up on the Red Cross website.

Gianforte, lawmakers disagree on jail costs

Governor Gianforte and the Montana Legislature find themselves on opposite ends of a plan to reimburse counties for the costs of housing some state prisoners.

Gianforte had vetoed House Bill 643, calling it an "expensive band-aid" to the thorny problem of helping counties cover the costs for behavioral health inmates while they wait for a bed at Montana State Hospital. He wanted the state to pursue other options, including renovations at Warm Springs and completing a new hospital in Eastern Montana.

But the Montana Free Press says lawmakers soundly overrode that veto. Representative Tracey Sharp of Polson sponsored the bill, and he admits that while the fund isn't a permanent solution, it will give lawmakers important data to craft a long-term approach.

Mystery continues over hiker's fate

Carbon County authorities are still unable to close the case of a young hiker who fell into a roaring stream and disappeared last month.

The 23-year-old man apparently vanished while trying to cross East Rosebud Creek below Rimrock Lake in early June. Very high water levels in the narrow canyon interfered with the initial search. Last week, Red Lodge Fire and Rescue returned now that water levels have dropped, but still could find no new clues to his fate.

Rescuers say they're "committed" to finding the hiker's body, believed to be trapped in one of the many rapids and holes in the fast-falling creek.

     They're planning additional searches as weather and water allow.

Bozeman PD needs the public's help for a murder case

Bozeman Police may have made an arrest in a 4-year-old murder case, but are now saying they could still use the public's help with information.

Last Friday, Deputy Chief Joe Swanson announced the arrest of 25-year-old Austin Clowes of Bozeman, based on DNA test results. Initially, the coroner said Steven Kilwein was electrocuted at his home at 9th and Mendenhall. Later analysis discovered he'd also suffered multiple injuries made with a "chopping" motion.

Yesterday, detectives asked anyone with information on Kilwein's circumstances at the time of the murder in June 2021 to contact them by email at crimetips@bozeman.net or by calling Crimestoppers. His family is offering a $100,000 reward.

Bannack will "boom" again this weekend

Bannack was arguably Montana's first "ghost town", with miners moving on to "better diggings" not long after the camp was founded in the 1860s.

It's the return of Bannack Days, a two-day celebration marking the colorful history of Montana's first territorial capital. But it's no ghost town this weekend, with upwards of 3000 people, so the best tip is to take the shuttle buses from Dillon