KALISPELL – It is the beginning of fire season in Northwest Montana and fire officials are warning the public to remain diligent with fire prevention efforts.
Flathead County Fire Area Manager Lincoln Chute says tall grass -- a dangerous ignition source for wildfire -- is drying out fast in Flathead County.
Chute says they’ve already seen fires flare up due to lightning strikes this summer but notes that 80% of fires in Flathead County historically are human-caused.
He says now is the time for final wildfire preparations such as trimming tall grass and tree limbs on your property. Chute added that making sure campfires are dead out is a must this time of year.
“We need the public’s help to limit those, we can’t do anything about the lightning, we will deal with those," he said. "But the human-caused starts are the ones we really need the public’s help with trying to prevent or mitigate as many of those as possible."
The fire danger level in Flathead County remains at “moderate,” but Chute says it could be bumped up to “high” as early as next week.
