Fire Season Forecast: Montana Governor Calls For Public Readiness

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - It could be mild, it could be severe, but the word that actually came out of Tuesday’s fire briefing for Governor Greg Gianforte was simply ‘normal’, whatever that means in Montana.

The governor met with DNRC (Department of Natural Resources and Conservation) Director Amanda Caster, along with Dan Borsum from the Northern Rockies Coordinating Group at his office in Helena.

Governor Gianforte was Told Fire Season will be 'Normal'

After hearing the forecast for the upcoming summer and fall fire season, Gianforte summed it up in one word ‘normal’.

“We're expecting a normal fire season, which still means thousands of fires and hundreds of thousands of acres that will burn with a normal fire season,” began Governor Gianforte. “There is still the potential for very large fires, so we have to be prepared, so I just encourage all Montanans to do their part, to prepare their homes, and their families, find safe evacuation routes, and commit to fuel reduction on their properties.”

Governor Thanked Legislature for more Firefighting Funds

Gianforte gave a tip of the hat to the 2023 Montana legislature for providing even more firefighting funds.

“Thanks to our recent investments through House Bill 883, we nearly doubled the cap on our fire suppression fund,” he said. “So we're ready at the state level for this fire season with these resources on hand, and the DNRC stands ready to fight fire wherever it occurs under our jurisdiction.”

Gianforte also placed some of the fire prevention burden directly on Montanans.

“We also have a responsibility to prevent human-caused fires, and that's really the job of every Montanan,” he said. “Please recreate safely, secure the chains on your trailers as you're hauling the boats to the lake or campers to the campgrounds, and make sure your family and home are ready for wildfire season.”

Governor Urges all Montanans to be Careful with Fire

Following the briefing, Gianforte called on all Montanans and visitors to recreate safely and be very, very careful with fire.

“Please visit mtfireinfo.org, it's a great resource for homeowners and landowners if just going to be out recreating to get suggestions on what to do,” he said. “The better prepared we are, the safer and more effective our firefighters can be. Together, we can keep our loved ones, firefighters, and communities safe by reducing the risk of wildfire.”

The governor’s 2024 Fire Season Outlook Briefing may be viewed here.

In addition, view the Governor’s live fire briefing here.