The Ravalli County commissioners heard the latest bad news from fire officials Monday morning, July 6.

At a fire danger update meeting with Ravalli County Director of Emergency Management Eric Hoover, the county commission heard from state, federal and local fire experts about worsening drought conditions in the area.

Byron Bonney, forester with the Bitterroot RC&D said much of western Montana is into moderate drought, as shown on national and regional satellite maps. And the prediction is for temperatures to continue being above normal. He said there might be more rain in the near future, but it could be accompanied by lightning.

Lightning has caused all of the forest fires on the Bitterroot National Forest so far this season.

Bonney also said the streamflows in most of the rivers in Montana and Idaho are significantly below normal. The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks department has restricted fishing on the Bitterroot River to the hours between midnight and 2 p.m.

He said the forest "heavy fuels" such as downed trees are very dry, with "1,000 hour" fuels at 11 percent moisture. That increases the threat of large forest fires.

Mark Wilson, Fire Management Officer of the Bitterroot National Forest, said that fire officials in southwest Montana are already discussing possible "Stage Two" restrictions, which would ban all campfires, among other things. Stage One restrictions went into effect in the Bitterroot and elsewhere Friday, July 3.

Martha Smith of the Montana Disaster and Emergency Services said that she has seen more and more state and U.S. forests moving from Very High to Extreme fire danger.

County Fire Marshal Brad Mohn said the fireworks restrictions helped local fire departments this past weekend, but that the Hamilton Department responded to a grass fire that was apparently started by cigarette flipped out of a passing auto.

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