LOS ANGELES, July 21 (Xinhua) -- A wildfire coded Lodgepole Complex prompted evacuation orders in the western U.S. state of Montana Friday night.

The "Lodgepole Complex," the largest fire this summer in Montana, has collectively scorched an area of 69,000 acres (about 280 square km) in the remote central area of the state.

According to the Bureau of Land Management Montana/Dakotas, residents were ordered to evacuate "the entire area north of Highway 200 from the Petroleum County line and west of Edwards Road."

According to satellite maps, there are only a few villages and recreational vehicle parks in the region.

The wildfire, which started Wednesday afternoon, grew very fast after combining four wildfires.

So far, 153 firefighting personnel, aided by air tankers, have been assigned to tackle the Lodgepole Complex, the local Billings Gazette newspaper posted on its official website Friday, however no containment was reported.

The National Interagency Fire Center Friday updated a report saying there are 38 large fires consuming both forests and grasslands in the United States, most of which are located in the western states.