Cedar snags mark the landscape at Idaho's Moon Pass and are reminders of the firestorm that raced along the Bitterroot Divide on August, 20-21, 1910. Photo by KURT WILSON/Missoulian

The 'big blowup' of 1910 burned 3 million acres of forest in western Montana and northern Idaho, and shaped much of the modern fire suppression effort . This series examines the memories of those who lived through the event as well as its relationship to current policies and the fires of 2000.

Taming 'the Dragon'
The "big blowup" of 1910 is the founding story of modern-day fire suppression. Still in its infancy, the U.S. Forest Service was determined to protect the great forest reserves of the Northern Region.

The injured and dead among the victims of the 1910 fires

Mountains of fire
90 years ago, wind-driven flames scarred a generation.

'Menace' in waiting
After the historic fires of 1910, policies designed to protect forests produced thicker timber stands that burn bigger and hotter when wildfire strikes.