Officials urge caution through fire season

SANDERS COUNTY – May is Wildfire Awareness Month in Montana and with the warm sunny days of summer right around the corner for communities across the state, including those in Sanders County, it is time to get ready for fire season.

The Governor’s Office of Community Service is urging communities, families and civic organizations to join together throughout the month and prepare for wildfire season.

According to Betsy Miller of the Governor’s Office of Community Service, the purpose of Wildfire Awareness Month is to raise awareness about wildland fire safety, community preparedness, hazardous fuels mitigations and fire prevention.

“One of our main messages is how to prevent human caused fires,” Miller said.

Miller stated the motto of this year’s awareness month is, “one less spark, one less wildfire.”

Miller noted in previous years the state would hold a wildlife awareness week, but a new approach has been undertaken this year to increase awareness by extending the program to a full month.

She added residents who live in areas of wildland-urban interface, the zone of transition between unoccupied land and developed areas, play an important role in helping to stop the spread of wildfires.

“It is important to keep property clear of debris,” Miller said.

Data from the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho shows nearly 2.5 million acres are burned each year by human-caused wildfires.

According to a press release from the Governor’s Office of Community Service, the leading causes of wildfires change from season to season in Montana.

In the spring escaped debris and agricultural burns often lead to responses from rural and city fire departments throughout western Montana.

During the summer months wildfires are often a result of the favorable conditions for outdoor activity.

Escaped or unattended campfires, sparks from dragging trailer chains, lawn mowers, chainsaws and other field machinery are prime causes of fires.

During the dog days of late summer the risk of wildfires is compounded by dry conditions which leave grass and woodland areas primed for fire activity.

Several ways to mitigate the risk of wildfires in fire season are to clean out gutters, roofs and other areas around property where debris has settled, avoid burning on windy days and never leave burn piles unattended.

Additionally, the governor’s office recommends maintaining heavy equipment to reduce sparks, check trailer chains to minimize dragging, create an evacuation plan and practice it with family members.

For those who enjoy the summer months in Sanders County with camping trips and other outdoors activities, they are urged to practice campfire safety and to ensure all fires are put out before a campsite is vacated.

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Keep Montana Green, FireSafe Montana, and the Governor’s Office of Community Service are working together in the organization of wildfire Awareness Month.