A jury trial for accused arsonist Craig Allen McCrea begins Friday with jury selection at the Ronan Community Center. The trial begins Monday at the Lake County Courthouse with opening statements. McCrea is accused of intentionally igniting the devastating Boulder 2700 fire in August 2021, and two smaller fires the month prior.
Before fire season began, conditions in northwest Montana set the stage for increased wildfire risk. Record high temperatures in May caused the region’s below-average snowpack to melt rapidly — in