Seeley Swan Pathfinder -

United States Congressman Ryan Zinke met with firefighters at Lake Alva on July 31, discussing both the growing Colt Fire and the push to boost wildland firefighter funding.

Rep. Zinke came to the Lake Alva Campsite as the blaze reached 6,177 acres on July 30 - one of the largest in Montana. The fire has been burning in heavy dead and downed timber since July 17, and could be a long-term threat as temperatures rise in August.

"We need to manage our forests, not let them burn to the ground," Zinke said in an interview with the Pathfinder. "Like the military, I think front line firefighters...