Scorched earth surrounds a lone pine tree atop a hill along U.S. Highway 212 east of Lame Deer, Mont., in the wake of the Ash Creek fire, Friday, July 6, 2012. To date the Ash Creek fire is the largest wildfire in the state of Montana, having burned 249,562-acres at last report by InciWeb on Sunday, July 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Great Falls Tribune, Rion Sanders)