Break in weather offers respite for firefighters

BOISE, Idaho (CNN) -- Lighter wind and cooler weather offered a break Saturday for thousands of firefighters battling wildfires across the West.

The National Interagency Fire Center reported that only two new "large" fires became active Saturday -- one in Wyoming, the other in Montana. An NIFC spokesman said calmer winds and lower temperatures were allowing some of the 22,500 firefighters assigned the blazes nationwide to get a bit of rest and relaxation.

As of Saturday, the fire center was monitoring 29 fires, each involving more than 100 acres, in eight states. The fires have swept through a total of nearly 223,000 acres.

The Fridley wildfire, near Bozeman, Montana, was getting the most attention, with 531 firefighters battling the 23,000-acre blaze. Annie Card, a spokeswoman for the Gallatin National Forest, said 100,000 acres of the reserve are closed to the public as a precaution.

Card said that while improved weather conditions were helping firefighters Saturday, forecasters were predicting hot and dry weather next week.

"More help is on the way," Card said. "We have 25 more crews approved, and there are about 20 people in a crew."

The Fridley fire gained strength Thursday when dry vegetation and heavy winds spread the blaze to nearly 12 miles long. Firefighters were brought in after conditions became so dangerous that the blaze became a threat to the helicopters that were dropping water.

An estimated 500 structures -- mostly homes -- are near the fire, which had covered only 4,000 acres before Thursday morning.

The Gallatin County Sheriff's Department hand-delivered 275 evacuation warnings this week as a precaution. A spokesman at the sheriff's office said most were primary residential homes but that some were vacation properties.

California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington also had major fires under way. California had four large fires burning, but all were more than 50 percent contained by Friday.

"The California fires aren't a huge concern in and of themselves," said Davida Carnahan, an NIFC fire information officer.