Montana Wildfire Is The Nation's New Top Firefighting Priority - NPR

A peak is shrouded in smoke from regional wildfires on July 14, at Grand Teton National Park, south of Yellowstone.

A peak is shrouded in smoke from regional wildfires on July 14, at Grand Teton National Park, south of Yellowstone.

Out-of-state crews are headed to Montana to help fight massive fires there as the western part of the country continues to be ravaged by flames and drought.

Fire officials from Montana's Department of Natural Resources and Conservation said on Wednesday that the over 6,800-acre Alder Creek Fire in the southwestern part of the state was the nation's highest firefighting priority.

Although small in size compared to a slew of fires raging elsewhere in the West, the Alder Creek Fire, just 7% contained, threatens the nearly 240 homes nearby according to the newspaper.

In the northeast portion of the state, five firefighters were injured on Thursday while trying to contain the Devils Creek Fire, a 1,300-acre blaze.

Eighty-eight large fires are currently burning in 13 states, nearly all of them in the West, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

Nearly 22,000 individuals are currently assigned to wildfires, many of whom are seasonal employees.

This allows states to work together methodically, sending crews out of state to hot zones as needed.