Rain has halted a fire burning near the upper Kuskokwim River villages of Sleetmute and Red Devil. But fire officials warn that it will likely pick up again as skies get sunnier. For now, after Monday's rain, the Aghaluk Mountain Fire is only 1% active, according to a detection and mapping aircraft. "So that means of that big perimeter of the 95,000-acre fire, 1% of it was putting off smoke," said Alaska Division of Forestry spokesman Brentwood Reid. "They didn't have any movement on the fire yesterday. It's just kind of smoldering and creeping." The fire on Tuesday burned about 10 miles southwest of Sleetmute and just over 12 miles from Red Devil. Lightning sparked the fire on May 6.  

For weeks, wildfires have raged across Alaska's vast Southwest region — threatening villages, burning up hundreds of thousands of acres and pushing smoke far across the state. Fire on the Southwest Alaska tundra isn't unheard of, but as climate change continues to reshape the state's environment, tundra fires are becoming both more frequent and more severe. The East Fork Fire, currently burning in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, is the largest fire on record in the area, having burned some 125,000 acres so far, according to Rick Thoman, a climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. And of the 700,000 acres burned in Alaska this fire season, most of that has been in the Southwest, said Zav Grabinski, a fire science communication specialist for the Alaska Fire Science Consortium.  

The 40,000-acre Hog Butte Fire burning about 30 miles southwest of Lake Michumina and several fires in Southwest Alaska have produced the bulk of the smoke blanketing much of Alaska. The Hog Butte Fire is one of eight staffed in Alaska. The BLM Alaska Fire Service Midnight Sun Hotshots and four smokejumpers are working to protect Native allotments and permitted cabins from the Hog Butte Fire burning along the North Fork of the Kuskoswim River 30 miles southeast Lake Michumina in Central Interior Alaska. This lightning-caused fire started on June 5 and is burning in a limited management option area, which allows the fire to function in its natural ecological role as long as it's not threatening any nearby sites of value.  

The Gianforte Administration has declared a statewide disaster due to destructive flooding in southern Montana. The announcement came from Gov. Greg Gianforte's social media Tuesday morning and an email to press. The executive order was signed by Lt. Governor Kristen Juras as acting governor. MTN has learned that Gianforte is out of the country and gave Juras delegated authority to act on his behalf in response to flooding in the state. It is unclear at this time where the governor traveled to, or when he is expected to return. "With rapid snowmelt and recent heavy rains, communities in south-central Montana are experiencing severe flooding that is destroying homes, washing away roads and bridges, and leaving Montanans without power and water services," Gianforte said in a release.  

VIDEO: As communities try and go green, Acton is making a big investment in the environment at their fire station. One look at the brand new station in town and you can see why it's already a big hit. From the gym to the private bunk rooms, station number four has all the newest features. The glass bi-folding garage bay doors even look cool. But it's not just the look, it's actually the goal. "It also gives the driver a clear view of sight from floor to ceiling as the doors open." Fire Chief Robert Hart told WBZ-TV. This is a totally green, fully electric station. And these doors are actually more energy efficient, safer and waste less heat inside when opened. It's one of many things that makes this building environmentally-friendly.  

The crowd, the noise, the powerful engines in cars that exceed 200 mph can overwhelm the senses of just about anyone at a NASCAR race. When an emergency hits, such as a car flipping in the air from an accident, the sounds come to an instant stop. A hush envelops the crowd, and the emergency team takes over. One of those crew members is a 21-year veteran with the Charlotte Fire Department, Aaron Webb. "I don't remember a time when I didn't want to be a firefighter," Webb said. "When I was three years-old, my mom said I was a kid that went nuts over fire trucks." A native Charlottean, Webb joined the fire department when he was 19, and has spent the majority of his time at Station 10 on Wilkinson Boulevard. Not long after becoming a firefighter, Webb said a severe storm hit the area.  

PHOTOS: Cleveland has a fascinating history. So many "firsts" happened right here in our city, from the first rock and roll concert to the first separation of conjoined twins. Clevelanders spearheaded innovations in the world of safety, too. Garrett Morgan, who was born in 1877, moved to Cleveland in 1895 and immediately began a career of tinkering. One of his greatest innovations was the smoke hood, which preceded the gas mask (but was significantly cheaper than the era's oxygen masks) but still provided firefighters with an extra line of defense against suffocating smoke. The smoke hood saved lives in and beyond Greater Cleveland, but that's just one of many helpful inventions used by brave firefighters. For the full history of firefighting, you'll want to swing by the Western Reserve Fire Museum and Education Center in Cleveland. Check it out:  

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has announced "Fire Won't Wait. Plan Your Escape" as the theme for Fire Prevention Week, October 9-15, reinforcing the critical importance of developing a home escape plan with all members of the household and practicing it regularly. In addition, this October represents the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week, the nation's longest-running public health observance on record. "This year's Fire Prevention Week campaign capitalizes on its milestone anniversary, celebrating all we've accomplished in reducing the public's risk to fire over the past hundred years," said Lorraine Carli, vice president of the NFPA Outreach and Advocacy division. "At the same time, the theme, ‘Fire Won't Wait. Plan Your Escape,' addresses challenges that remain." According to NFPA data, home — the place people feel safest from fire — is actually where they are at greatest risk, with three-quarters (74 percent) of all U.S. fire deaths occurring in homes.