GREAT FALLS — The Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation (DNRC) said in a news release on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, that interagency fire management officials in central Montana have implemented Stage 1 Restrictions for the entire Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest as well as for Liberty, Glacier, Toole, Teton, Meagher, and Jeffersoncounties.
The purpose of fire restrictions is to reduce the risk of human-caused fires during unusually high fire danger and/or burning conditions.
Fire restrictions affect the following lands within the listed counties: private lands, state lands under the jurisdiction of the DNRC and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP), federal lands under the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Tribal lands under the Blackfeet Nation.
STAGE 1 FIRE RESTRICTIONS
The Following Acts Are Prohibited Until Further Notice:
- Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire unless as noted in the exemptions below.
- Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
Stage 1 Exemptions:
- Persons with a written permit that specifically authorizes the otherwise prohibited act.
- Persons using a device solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off. Such devices can only be used in an area that is barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding materials within three feet of the device.
- Persons conducting activities in those designated areas where the activity is specifically authorized by written posted notice.
- Any Federal, State, or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.
- All land within a city boundary is exempted.
- Other exemptions unique to each agency/tribe.
Fire professionals analyze several factors when deciding when to enact and rescind fire restrictions. These include the number of human-caused fires, fire danger ratings, weather conditions, fuel moisture, availability of firefighting resources, and the potential threat to firefighter and public safety.
Fire restrictions vary across jurisdictions and may change quickly. Contact the agency responsible for management of your area to verify what activities are allowed. Visit MtFireInfo.org to learn more.
