Indian Country Today Media Network, News Report, Posted: Jun 27, 2012

Wildfires on and around the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana, with 11 homes destroyed on the reservation and seven on private land, the Associated Press reports.

Evacuations have been ordered, including for the entire town of Ashland, according to KULR television out of Billings.

The Ash Creek fire in southeastern Montana was 110,000 acres and had already burned 18 homes as of Wednesday June 27, authorities in Billings, Montana, told reporters. The town of Ashland was completely evacuated on Tuesday night, the AP said, with evacuations ordered in St. Labre as well.

The Billings Gazette said that Highway 212 into Ashland was closed because the bridges had been burned out.

“State forester Bob Harrington in a Wednesday briefing in Billings said there are 319 structures within the 156-square-mile perimeter and the fire is uncontained,” the AP said.

The fire started on Tuesday June 26, the AP said. Local television station KULR out of Billings reports three fires in total, with Ash Creek being the largest. The station also reported multiple power and water outages. KULR has set up a Firewatch page to monitor the blazes.

Elsewhere in the western U.S., the worst wildfire season in Colorado history has forced 32,000 from their homes and killed one person.