Regarding the MILW, Montana and fire, my fire crew spent a week at the Plains, MT ranger district (USFS) this summer, while we were there we got dispatched to the Forest Grove fire just outside of Superior, MT (Superior RD, USFS). Showed up at about 1600, started IA on the east flank with the old MILW right of way as our anchor, we had helitack support while it was still light out, too. Night-time initial attack, on the Clark Fork in Montana, anchored into the old Milwaukee Road, watching MRL trains across the river -- it doesn't get much better than that! I'm a big Milwaukee Road fan, a few of the guys on my crew though I'd gone nuts or inhaled too much smoke when I started going off on the incredibly historic ground we had the priveledge of fighting fire on...
As to fire management policy, well, I just dig line... ;-)