NBC Montana

Lightning sparked a fire that ignited Thursday in the Ninemile Ranger District. It’s grown to 2,900 acres since then. The fire is located about 15 miles southwest of Tarkio, west of Missoula.

The Sheep Fire, part of the Thompson-Divide Complex, blew up on Thursday, prompting the closure of an 8-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 2 and evacuation notices for more than 100 homes and businesses. However, NBC Montana reports clouds and heavy smoke made the Sheep Fire less active on Friday.

Air quality in parts of western Montana deteriorated rapidly overnight.

Forest Service officials say three fires make up a new fire complex burning in steep, remote, forested terrain northeast of Seeley Lake.

The Zootown All-Stars defeated Michigan 10-0 in the championship game of the Senior Softball Little League World Series Saturday afternoon in Delaware.

Lightning storms were rolling across areas of Idaho and southwest Montana Tuesday evening.

Evacuation levels in Glacier National Park are being downgraded as the weather improves and more firefighters arrive to battle the blaze.

Montana's crime lab is tracking a possible backlog in evidence used to prosecute rape cases. The crime lab estimates there are roughly around 1,650 untested kits statewide.

Missoula police are searching for a man who allegedly struck a woman in the back of her head with a rock while she was jogging in Greenough Park on Saturday at about 7:20 p.m.

The Missoula Police Department has received some calls this week complaining about people jumping into the river from city bridges.  Officials say it's not illegal.

Splash Montana officially opened its doors at 11:30 a.m. Friday. People waited in line to get in.

Law enforcement officers say a southwestern Montana man told an acquaintance that he shot his family at their one-room cabin because his wife had been "mocking him and riding him all day."