In this photo provided by the Madison County Disaster & Emergency Services, a cabin explodes in flames at the 19 mile fire, Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012 between Madison County and Butte, Mont. Rapidly expanding wildfires across a broad swath of southern Montana have caused injuries and burned homes, buildings and vehicles, authorities said Thursday, as firefighters struggled to contain the flames amid hazardous conditions. (AP Photo/Madison County Disaster & Emergency Services, Steve DiGiovanna)
In this photo provided by the Madison County Disaster & Emergency Services, a cabin explodes in flames at the 19 mile fire, Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012 between Madison County and Butte, Mont. Rapidly expanding wildfires across a broad swath of southern Montana have caused injuries and burned homes, buildings and vehicles, authorities said Thursday, as firefighters struggled to contain the flames amid hazardous conditions. (AP Photo/Madison County Disaster & Emergency Services, Steve DiGiovanna)
In this photo provided by the Madison County Disaster & Emergency Services, a firefighter stands ready at the 19 mile fire, Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012 between Madison County and Butte, Mont. Rapidly expanding wildfires across a broad swath of southern Montana have caused injuries and burned homes, buildings and vehicles, authorities said Thursday, as firefighters struggled to contain the flames amid hazardous conditions. (AP Photo/Madison County Disaster & Emergency Services, Steve DiGiovanna)
A pickup makes it out just ahead of the Rosebud fire Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012. Rapidly-expanding wildfires across a broad swath of southern Montana have caused injuries and burned more homes, buildings and vehicles, authorities said Thursday, as firefighters struggled to contain the flames amid hazardous conditions. (AP Photo/Billings Gazette, Bob Zellar)
Janice Jansky hugs Joe Adams after he reported that her home was still standing in the Toll Mountain area of the 19-mile fire buring 10 miles southeast of Butte Wednesday morning Aug. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Walter Hinick, Montana Standard)
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) ? Rapidly expanding wildfires across a broad swath of southern Montana have caused injuries and burned homes, buildings and vehicles, authorities said Thursday, as firefighters struggled to contain the flames amid hazardous conditions.
The precise toll of the latest spate of fires to hit the state remained uncertain. But at least three evacuation orders were in place and well over 150 homes threatened by blazes that in some cases burned unchecked.
High temperatures and erratic winds were forecast to make the fight more difficult. And with at least nine large fires burning in Montana, officials said there was increasing competition for adequate equipment and personnel.
"Everybody's competing for resources around here. We hope for everything but take what we can get," said Karen Tuscano of the U.S. Forest Service.
Tuscano was responding to a new wildfire south of Livingston, in the Paradise Valley near Yellowstone National Park. The Pine Creek Fire that ignited Wednesday resulted in minor injuries to firefighters and members of the public, the Park County sheriff's office said.
Residents caught unaware were forced to flee the village of Pine Creek without packing any bags, said Park County Commissioner Marty Malone.
He said about 200 people live in the area and that some tried to fight the fire themselves, including a man who ran a hose on the flames until the power to an electric water pump was cut off by the blaze and the water stopped running.
The fire burned multiple houses and buildings ? and was threatening others ? but officials said it was too early to get an accurate toll of the destruction.
The fire grew to an estimated 8 square miles less than a day after it was reported Wednesday afternoon on private land along the Yellowstone River. The cause was under investigation.
A resident who failed to heed an evacuation on a fire south of Butte was taken away by ambulance after suffering second degree burns to his hands and arms, said Forest Service spokeswoman Mariah Leuschen. That blaze, the 19 Mile Fire, has burned more than 4 square miles and at least nine structures, including two houses.
An estimated 100 houses remained threatened by the fire. Residents briefly were allowed back in with escorts Thursday to check on the condition of their property.
To the east, an estimated 20 residences and summer houses remained evacuated from a fire burning on the northeast front of the Beartooth Mountains near Roscoe. The Rosebud Fire was reported at 20 percent contained Thursday morning.
South of Bozeman, officials said six houses and 20 commercial buildings and outbuildings were threatened by the Millie Fire, which exploded from less than 1 square mile to more than 15 square miles from Wednesday to Thursday. The fire was uncontained Thursday.
Wildfires were burning in at least six other western states, including a blaze in Wyoming's Teton Wilderness that has scorched 19 square miles after making a big run Wednesday.
The fire spread away from an area with summer cabins, though, and fire officials said it may burn itself out within the next several days.
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