190,000-acre burn challenges eastern Montana ranchers

OTTER - Jim Gilliland sat at the kitchen table in his ranch house, sorting through the mess of papers strewn about before him. Promotional leaflets advertised soil rejuvenation services. Glossy flyers touted potential government assistance for fence reconstruction projects. Informational brochures offered access to livestock feed at reduced cost.

Outside Gilliland's window, just 200 yards from his house, blackened ground marked the Remington Fire's farthest advance. The wildfire had burned tens of thousands of acres across Powder River, Big Horn and Rosebud counties during the early days of Se...