MATT GOURAS - Associated Press Writer - 08/28/03

HELENA -- Firefighters on at least three major blazes took advantage of light rain and cool temperatures Wednesday to regain ground lost the night before when strong winds fanned flames and forced some crews off the lines.

The advances allowed authorities to reopen a main highway between Bozeman and West Yellowstone that was closed Tuesday afternoon when the Rathbone Fire about 15 miles north of Yellowstone National Park, jumped U.S. 191 and grew to about 3,100 acres.

Authorities were escorting traffic through a portion of the highway Wednesday.

Meanwhile, fires that flared up again in Glacier National Park forced the closure of a 30-mile stretch of the popular Middle Fork of the Flathead River next to the park Wednesday.

Despite the cool temperatures and light rain that fell on some fires, forecasts still are calling for more hot temperatures, wind and little to no rain through the week.

So far this year, more than $100 million has been spent trying to put out more than 400,000 acres of burning forests. Federal authorities announced Wednesday that parts of Montana will receive federal disaster assistance.

Near Missoula, about 500 Army troops finished basic fire training and hit the lines with firefighters Wednesday.

Rain also was a welcome sight Wednesday morning in Missoula, as firefighters regrouped from a 200-acre run Tuesday night that left the Black Mountain 2 Fire at more than 7,000 acres. The blaze is already responsible for destroying three houses.

But fire managers expected the light drizzle to give way to more dangerous fire conditions.

''I think the winds are going to be more of a story again," said Julena Campbell.

The Little Salmon complex of fires grew more than 3,000 acres when it was pushed by windy weather to 38,500 acres Tuesday. Winds as high as 45 mph were expected again Wednesday night on the blaze burning in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area.

In Glacier, the 46,000-acre Robert Fire was being allowed to expand into the park's backcountry.

''It's going into the park, so as long as we can keep it from the McDonald Lake area, we're sitting pretty good," said Jodie Kramer, fire information officer.

Last month, the blaze threatened West Glacier and was twice responsible for shutting down a large portion of the western part of Glacier, including the McDonald Lake area.

Other fires burning in Glacier National Park could be seen by travelers on Highway 2 after the Rampage Complex of fires mushroomed from a couple hundred acres to about 1,000 acres overnight Tuesday.

Southwest of that fire, crews successfully completed some crucial burnouts for protecting the towns of Hungry Horse and Martin City from the encroaching 1,100-acre Beta Lake-Doris Ridge Fires.

But fire managers warned they are a long way from putting out the large blazes menacing western Montana.

''We are extremely concerned about the combination of sever weather conditions, changes in predicted weather, escalating fire behavior, and the large existing fires (in the area)," said Rex Mann, who is commanding fire fighting efforts on fires burning in the Glacier National Park area.

On the Net:

National Interagency Fire Center: http://www.nifc.gov

Northern Rockies: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/fire/2003fires/index.shtml