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Protect your home from wildfire

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News from Katherine Sears, MT Dept. of Natural Resources

LEWISTOWN — In October 2020, the East Troublesome Fire tore through Colorado, burning 193,812 acres and destroying 366 homes and 189 commercial buildings. A recent bulletin from the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station highlighted one homeowner’s story. They evacuated as the fire approached, returning later to find their home still standing—damaged by smoke, but intact. The house next door was reduced to ashes. 

Later that year, a firefighter and neighbor shared the reason this home had been spared: the homeowner’s fire mitigation efforts, made long before the fire arrived. It wasn’t a massive renovation or costly upgrade that made the difference—it was something as simple as regularly raking and clearing pine needles from the property. By removing this ground fuel, they gave firefighters the space and time they needed to defend the home. 

That word—defend—is key. When we talk about wildfire mitigation, the goal is to create “defensible space” around a home. This buffer zone helps slow the spread of fire by reducing the available fuel near a structure. More importantly, it gives firefighters a safer, more manageable area to work in, increasing the chances that they can protect your home during a wildfire. 

While large-scale projects can certainly reduce your home’s ignition risk, it’s the small, consistent actions that can make the biggest impact. Take these steps to reduce the risk of fire: 

Clear leaves, pine needles, and twigs from your roof, deck and the ground around your home. 

Replace bark mulch with rock or other non-combustible materials. 

Move wood piles away from structures and off decks—even just for the summer. 

Trim up trees around structures and create adequate spacing between vegetation and structures. 

Remember, the most critical area to treat is the first five feet around your home. 

The best time to act is now. These simple steps don’t just protect your home—they also help safeguard your neighbors, your community, and the firefighters working on the front lines. 

Like the homeowner in the story, you can save your own home. The work you do before a wildfire starts is what matters most. 

For more information on defensible space and preparing for wildfire, visit: mtfireinfo.org. 

Katherine Sears is a community preparedness & fire prevention specialist for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Northeastern Land Office, based in Lewistown.

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