Articles with the Tag: Fire season

The 2023 Montana wildfire season was slow to start. Average snowpack combined with rain in much of the state, spared an early fire season. Recent hot days and dry fuels, however, have now put Montana into active fire season with over 40,000 acres burned by early August. Montana’s average annual tempera...

News from the Dept. of the Interior WASHINGTON — Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently issued a joint memo to federal agency leaders with wildfire responsibilities outlining their vision and goals for managing wildland fires this year. The memo&rsq...

News from the office of Governor Gianforte  HELENA — Governor Greg Gianforte recently convened local, state, tribal, and federal agency administrators, and fire management officers for the 2023 Fire Briefing. “Advancing our agenda this legislative session, Montana has more resources ...

News from the office of Senator Tester U.S. SENATE — As part of his continued effort to support emergency services in Montana and keep communities safe, U.S. Senator Jon Tester recently passed his bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act to reauthorize the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Prog...

MONTANA — When wildfire smoke billows from its source and lingers in the air, the haze brings coughs and questions for many Montana residents. Among them: How should I interpret air quality ratings? How does smoke affect my indoor air quality? Is it safe to walk my dog or head out for a hike today? ...

News from the office of Senator Tester U.S. Senate — The Biden Administration announced on June 21 new pay raises and support for the wildland firefighter workforce for the next two years. The funding will come from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which Senator Jon Te...

Wildfires – almost an inescapable fact of life around the northwest. Every year thousands upon thousands of acres of forest go up in smoke in the waning months of summer. Powerful, shifting wind patterns move smoke hundreds of miles resulting in unpredictable air quality: clear skies one day and thick ...

Smoke from the wildfires burning through bone-dry forests and grasslands in the West has damaged air quality this week from California to the Eastern Seaboard. The polluting smoke has been thickest in the Northwest, including Montana, where over the past week Missoula, Helena, Great Falls and other cities ra...

News from the office of Governor Gianforte MONTANA — Governor Greg Gianforte issued an executive order declaring a statewide wildland fire emergency in Montana. “Montana faces critical fire conditions that pose significant threats to our communities, infrastructure, first responders, and way...

News from CSKT Division of Fire  FLATHEAD RESERVATION — Division of Fire officials state that fire danger is moderate, but is very close to high, especially on the west side of the reservation.   Debris burning by permit will close for the fire season on June 30. CSKT Division of Fire...