US fires spark tourist stay-away

Firefighters in Montana are still battling huge blazes

The wildfires raging across the western United States are hitting tourism in the Rocky Mountains, with no immediate relief in sight from the dry, blustery conditions which are fanning the flames.

Thousands of firefighters are battling the blazes in the Rocky Mountain states of Idaho and Montana, and hundreds more soldiers are expected there soon.

It is beginning to have an impact on tourism because of this perception that the entire state is closed

Montana governor's spokeswoman

"The danger seems to be growing. We haven't had any rain for relief," said Diane Williams, a spokeswoman for the National Fire Information Centre in Boise, Idaho.

In neighbouring Montana, the authorities have put 30 of the state's 56 counties under official use restrictions, meaning people need special permits to use the land.

A spokeswoman at the Montana governor's office, Mary Jo Fox, said the area affected "is the most heavily used by tourists and the most heavily forested".

"It is beginning to have an impact on tourism because of this perception that the entire state is closed," said Mrs Fox.

Huge areas of woodland have been destroyed

The governor's closure order limits most recreational activities.

"Yellowstone and Glacier (parks) are still open, but they are still seeing tourism drop," she said.

More than 20,000 firefighters are battling 78 large wildfires across the western US, covering a total of 560,000 hectares (1.4 million acres).

The National Interagency Fire Centre (NIFC) says 480,000 hectares are ablaze in Montana and Idaho alone.

The fires are shaping up to be the worst in some 50 years.

So far the US Government has spent more than $400m fighting the fires, with more than a month to go in the season, forestry officials say.

Prisoners

Firefighters from Canada, Mexico and as far away as Australia and New Zealand have joined the struggle to contain the fires.

The NIFC says the death toll from fire-related incidents has risen to 14.

In Utah on Wednesday, lightning struck a group of prisoners fighting a mountain blaze west of Salt Lake City, killing two people and injuring five, officials said.

The victims were part of a special Utah State Prison unit helping with firefighting tasks.

Inferno

The Pentagon said it was sending about 1,000 extra troops to the Bitterroot National Forest and Kootenai National Forest in Montana. A battalion of 500 marines will also join firefighters in the Kootenai National Forest.

Wildfires are also raging in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

The biggest inferno - dubbed "Clear Creek" by firefighters - has incinerated much of Idaho's Salmon-Challis National Forest.

Meanwhile in Montana, the "Valley Complex" blaze has destroyed a huge swathe of the Bitterroot National Forest.