KALISPELL — Fire officials are warning novice campers about the dangers of not properly extinguishing campfires.
Flathead National Forest fire manager Rick Connell says that this year, lots of tourists are interested in coming to Montana to recreate and social distance on our public lands.
However, he says 25% of forest fires are typically human-caused and a huge portion of those are started by campfires. The biggest thing he says is to make sure your campfire is completely out before you walk away.
"Drown the fire, stir the fire. When I was a boy scout to flip a quarter in there and then you'd search for the quarter to make sure the fire is out,” Connell said. “That's where we need to help because every year we have lots of abandoned campfires in the woods."
You're asked to make sure you build your campfire in a designated fire ring and to also clear three feet of space around the campfire to prevent embers from jumping and spreading.
