A SEAT (Single Engine Air Tanker) aircraft releases red retardant over a smoky hillside to help slow the Knowles Fire. Aerial support continues to assist crews working in steep terrain. (Northern Rockies Team 9 photo)

State and federal firefighters were dispatched across Montana this week as large fires continue to burn in the state.

It’s been noticeable, too — tanker aircraft have been jetting in and out of Helena Regional Airport this week and some Montana communities have dealt with localized smoke.

In Bozeman, Bridger Aerospace, a company founded by Montana Sen. Tim Sheehy, said it has been active on a fire near Big Sky, the company said in a Thursday press release.

“From Los Angeles in January to Montana in August, wildfires are now a year-round threat,” said Sam Davis, CEO of Bri

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