HELENA — Gov. Greg Gianforte was briefed on Montana's fire situation on Wednesday.
There are 20 large wildfires burning across the state, including a blaze that's the number one priority right now in the nation.
The governor learned that since Jan. 1 there have been 1,500 fire starts in Montana – with 500 of those just this month.
Around 200,000 acres have burned with almost $9 million being spent on fire suppression since the start of the state's fiscal year, which was July 1.
The Alder Creek Fire burning in the Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest is the top priority fire in the country due to the number of structures threatened.
