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Fire season in Montana winding down

Posted at 9:58 AM, Oct 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-07 11:58:54-04

Recent snowfall has helped Montana wildfires, but we’re not out of the woods yet as fall rain and snow does not completely bail us out of fire season.

“The precipitation does help, however, fire season is never really over. It’s always fire season somewhere,” said Allyson Pokrzywinski, prevention technician for the Bozeman Ranger District.

We all know that Montana weather can change quickly

“We may even get warm and dry weather here in southwest Montana,” Pokrzywinski added. “And it’s always possible to get a fire.”

People camping in the winter sometimes let their guard down due to the lack of fire weather.

“So it’s important — no matter what time of year, the weather, or your location — to remember to drown, stir, and feel your campfire. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave,” said Pokrzywinski.

Even though fire season is never truly over across the country, with what our meteorologists have in the forecast, we should see fire activity continue to diminish.

“Most of the big fires are winding down. Crews are still working in the final stages of mop-up and rehab. In other areas of the country, firefighters work year round to manage wildfires,” Pokrzywinski said.

The only remaining fire in southwest Montana is the Bacon Rind Fire between Big Sky and West Yellowstone.

InciWeb shows that six fires, including the Boundary, Howe Ridge, and Paola Ridge fires in Glacier National Park, are still burning in northwest Montana, however, they were last updated at the end of September with high containment percentages.

-Reported by Carson Vickroy