Be fire-wise as weather becomes drier

By JOHN CRAMER of the Missoulian

Western Montana's snowy winter has given way to a cool spring, but it's never too early to start thinking about the wildfire season.

Although the snowpack remains mostly intact in the high mountains, spring's green-up hasn't fully arrived and the wildland fire season doesn't typically start until July, don't be fooled.

Many lower-elevation areas have already started to dry out, with precipitation about 2 inches below normal for this time of year, including in the Missoula Valley.
Rick Ochoa, a predictive services meteorologist for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management based at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, said the fire danger is relatively low in western Montana right now because of the deep snowpack and cool springtime temperatures.

But late May and June are expected to be hotter and drier than normal, and if the mercury skyrockets in July as it did last year, “then the potential really goes up” for a dangerous fire season, Ochoa said.

Fire officials say key factors for the coming wildfire season include how quickly the snowpack melts, rainfall, temperatures and winds this summer, but local fire officials already have started to worry.

“The streams are filling up with the melting snowpack, which is great, but we're not looking real good right now” for the wildfire season, said Brent Christopherson, fire marshal and deputy chief of the Missoula Rural Fire District. “We're cautious already. I just think we're in for another potentially volatile year unless we get some substantial precipitation.”

Smoke from prescribed burns, open burning and the year's first grass and woodland fires has spiraled into the air recently in western Montana.

Firefighters with the U.S. Forest Service, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the Missoula Rural Fire District have responded to several human-caused wildfires. Some have been open burns that flared out of control and threatened structures.

That's prompted fire officials to remind the public to be fire-wise, whether it's burning backyard brush piles, creating a defensible space around the house, dousing a campfire or getting rid of a cigarette butt.

The wildland fire season has become hotter, drier and longer in western Montana, which usually means an early end to the March 1 to Aug. 31 general open burning season. It also means a summer hiatus of the agriculture and wildland burning seasons.

Christopherson reminded the public to follow the instructions on their burn permits and to monitor weather conditions and forecasts.

Open burning is allowed with burn permits depending on fire conditions. No burning is allowed within the Missoula city limits.

“We appreciate people cleaning up their areas, but the problem is when they leave them unattended or they don't have the right equipment and the wind comes up,” Christopherson said.

Precautions should be taken before starting open burning, such as having a shovel, water and other extinguishing tools nearby.

Open-burn fires should not be left unattended. The flames may appear to be out, but the fire and its perimeter should be double-checked for smoldering areas.

People whose open burns get out of control are liable for all fire-suppression costs and damage.

The Missoula Rural Fire District's mitigation crews are preparing for their sixth summer of helping landowners to clear small trees and other flammable fuels away from their homes and outbuildings.

The program, which is funded by state and federal grants, serves about 30 landowners a year, giving highest priority to those with the worst fire risk.

The Lolo and Bitterroot national forests have started prescribed burning on lands that have been thinned as part of fuel-reduction projects.

The Bitterroot has potential prescribed burn projects ranging in size from 13 to 1,863 acres. The Lolo has potential prescribed burn projects totaling 3,400 total acres.

Each spring, Forest Service fire managers apply fire to small areas of forests to replicate the benefits from historical, naturally occurring, low-intensity underburns.

The projects are designed to enhance forest health, improve wildlife habitat, remove post-harvest slash, reduce the potential for large, high-intensity wildfires, and improve safety for firefighters and the public.

Much of the work focuses on the wildland-urban interface, or the area where communities meet forests.

Chuck Stanich, fire management officer for the Lolo National Forest, said the public shouldn't be lulled into thinking the hefty snowpack will translate into a calm wildfire season.

“People have to remember we haven't had snow at lower elevations for a while, so when we have temperatures in the 60s for even one day, grasses can dry out and carry fire very well,” he said. “People should be very careful for the next few weeks. If the rains come, it will dampen things down, but if they don't, we could have an early fire season.”

Rick Floch, fire management officer for the Bitterroot National Forest, said the fire danger is relatively low in the Bitterroot because of cool temperatures and decent precipitation.

That's made it difficult to do prescribed burns of dead fuels from last fall at a time when new grass is starting to grow, he said.

Floch declined to predict what kind of wildfire season awaits western Montana.

“I think it's too early to tell,” he said. “It'll depend on rainfall in June and July, which will dictate conditions in August, which is typically our warmest, driest time with the most lightning.”