KALISPELL — Despite rain and cooler temperatures this week fire conditions remain dangerous across Northwest Montana heading into Labor Day weekend.
Fire agencies have received multiple calls regarding illegal burn piles in the Flathead with fire officials noting debris burning is not allowed until October 1.
“It’s very plausible that we could get an extended fire season into September and October if we don’t get any rain like we have been getting the past month,” said Montana DNRC Fire Prevention Specialist Marcel Getz.
With hot and dry conditions in the extended forecast, Getz said now is the time to follow strict open burning restrictions — rules put in place to prevent human-caused wildfires.
“Yes, we respond to human-caused fires, but anytime we send our limited resources to those human-caused fires we are not going to have the resources needed if we do get a lightning start that day, and so it is crucial to avoid debris burning.”
Getz said all debris burning is prohibited until October 1st, it doesn’t matter how small a burn pile may be.
“The other thing this brings in the fall is we get frost in the morning, and the frost in the morning combined with 80-degree days in the afternoon, that dries out grass a lot quicker than you would think.”
Getz said those enjoying the beauty of Montana’s outdoors this weekend need to make sure recreational campfires are dead out, those who don’t could pay a price.
“Whenever you’re looking at anything burning there is always the fine that comes with it and jail time if your burn were to leave and start a wildlife and that does deter folks from burning because they don’t want to go to jail, they don’t want to pay that fine, those are worse case scenarios of course,” said Getz.
Getz said a good resource for up-to-date fire information in the Flathead is FireSafe Flathead.
