Montana Officials Find Multiple Abandoned Campfires

High temperatures and gusty winds are not the only thing National Forests officials are concerned about this fire season, sometimes the biggest threat is people. Leona Roderick of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest Office said fire crews have had to revisit several campsites to prevent wildfires from starting.

“Our firefighters have responded to several abandoned campfires especially in the butte areas the Limekiln, Toll Mountain and Thompson park areas,” Roderick said. “People are just forgetting to put out their campfires and that’s not safe. If winds pick up and as the fuels dry, we may have some wildfires.”

Abandoned fires can result in hefty consequences for campers

“If we find the people who have abandoned their campfires we can fine them,” Roderick said. “The fines can vary based on the situation. It could be time in jail and they could be fined but I know if we find people with fireworks it can be up to $300.”

In recent years, fire fighting officials in Montana have estimated around fifty percent of fires are human caused.