Fires Now Banned Across Northwest Montana – Extreme Fire Danger
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has announced that no fires will be allowed on any of their campsites due to Stage Two Fire Restrictions put in place on Friday.
Education and Program Manager Dillon Tabish provided details to KGVO on Friday morning.
“Fire season continues to worsen with increased fire danger, and because of that increased fire danger, campfires are banned and other fire restrictions are taking effect at all of our Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks sites in northwest Montana,” said Tabish. “That is effective this weekend, and across the state similar restrictions are in affected FWP sites.”
Tabish expanded on the restrictions at northwest Montana sites.
“Anywhere anybody's planning on camping or recreating outdoors, they should check to see if fire restrictions are in effect in that area because they are most likely right now pretty much everywhere across the state is under some form of fire restrictions,” he said. “Those restrictions can impact campfires which are banned now up here in northwest Montana, as well as operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails and anywhere that has stage two restrictions.”
Tabish said even though campfires are outlawed, there are other ways to prepare meals while camping.
“You can also use devices solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off,” he said. “So some of those camp stoves that have an open flame, but you can turn them on and off. Those are still allowed in areas that are barren or cleared of all overhead, flammable materials. So if you can find a spot to put that stove on, you can use it.”
Tabish wanted to emphasize the proper way to put out a campfire.
“Putting a lot of water on it, stirring it getting a shovel or a large stick, putting water stirring putting water stirring, you're just going to keep doing that,” he said. “Add a little water stirred around, add a little water stirred around. And after a few trips of getting water on there, it's going to really cool down. You're spreading out those embers and you're cooling them off. And after doing that for 10 minutes, you're going to have a dead out campfire. You can put your hand in there and it should be cold to the touch before you leave that campfire.”
Tabish repeated the fact that nearly 75 percent of all the wildfires burning in Montana have been human caused.