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Show FORESTERS DECLARE SITUATION IS ONE OF GRAVE DANGER By Universal Service. HELENA, Mont., July 17. The worst forest fire situation since- the great conflagration con-flagration of ly 10 has been created in wewtern Montana and northern Idaho as a result of continued dry weather, unfavorable unfa-vorable winds and dearth of fire fighters. Forest service officers today declared that the situation was rapidly growing beyond all control without prospects of aid from any direction. Destruction of ranch houses and livestock live-stock has been reported from several districts dis-tricts and it is feared that there has been loss of life In some instances. The wind-driven flames, which are beyond be-yond control, are attacking virgin timber in many new districts, and fire-fighting crews are retreating all along the line. An exceptionally high wind is sweeping sweep-ing western Montana and dark clouds of smoke cover virtually the whole western part of the state. The wiping out of several large banda of sheep was today reported from Tar-kio. Tar-kio. near Missoula, where the animals were trapped in a wooded ravine down which the flames swept. Several thousand thou-sand sheep belonging to the Northwestern Sheep company of Portland, Ore., were incinerated. Several ranch houses near Priest River, Idaho, were burned early today, and many other homes, in the Priest River valley are believed doomed. Bridges in the fire district have been destroyed by flames, which have demoralized de-moralized travel, with the result that new flames cannot be quicklv reached. Telephone Tele-phone serviee has also been badly handicapped handi-capped as the result of falling poles. |