Warm weather ignites extreme fire alert

Stage II fire restrictions will go into effect on Federal, Tribal, State and Private lands in the Missoula Area effective 12:01 a.m. Thursday, July 27.

Federal agencies where the restrictions are enacted include Bitterroot National Forest, Lolo National Forest, Flathead Indian Reservation, Missoula Field Office BLM and U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, according to a press release from the Northern Rockies Coordination Group.

Missoula Area Restrictions Coordinator Chris Johnson said Tuesday afternoon that if a person is caught by law enforcement to have started a fire, they can be responsible for the cost of the fire, which could get to “millions of dollars.”

Otherwise, if someone is found igniting a fire, he said that a maximum fine of $5,000 and six months in prison are possible.

The statement also said campfires are prohibited, smoking except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area with at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials and operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails.

Between 1 p.m. and 1 a.m., operating any internal combustion engine, welding or operating acetylene or other types of torches with open flame or using explosives are also prohibited.

After three suspicious fires ignited last week, the Tribal Forestry’s Division of Fire is asking the public to be on the lookout for questionable activity.

Fire Prevention Specialist CT Camel said last Wednesday that the fires, located at the top of Valley Hill, Along St. Mary’s Road and Valley Creek Road, could be separate, but officials are looking into possible causes.

For more than a week, Camel said that the west side of the Flathead Indian Reservation has been on an “extreme” fire alert. The east side of the reservation is expected to be upgraded from “very high” to “extreme” by late last week, he added.

The DOF sent out a press release last Tuesday, stating that “unattended campfires and other small starts from carelessness have” been a problem, and they could easily spread, sparking larger fires, causing damage to natural resources as well as to buildings and other structures.

There are three situations to avoid as outlined by the DOF “to ensure there is One Less Spark” as a result of outdoor activities:

1. Mowing tall grass where the blade from the lawn mower can strike a rock.

2. Low-hanging safety chains that cause a spark on the roadway while towing a trailer.

3. Failure to have a spark arrester in equipment exhaust systems in grassy areas.

“Tremendous effort goes into preventive programs and information campaigns,” the DOF press release stated.

South Fork Gate leading to the South Fork Primitive Area is closed to vehicles and reaction, Camel said, due to a fire caused by lightning.

There are still other lightning-caused fires in South Fork, and crews are still at those scenes, he confirmed.

Should a small fire become a forest fire, arson charges could be filed as well as fines or the bill for all fire-caused costs.

DOF is working with the support of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, police force and all law officials on the reservation to stop human-caused fires.

“We could have up to eight more weeks” of wild fire, Johnson said.

Inititally, Johnson said that tack resources have been “going hard at it” for the last several months fighting fires in Nevada and Arizona, and now they are back in Montana doing the same.

Going forward, he said that officials are asking the public to have caution.

“The more careful people are, the less we’re going to put” first responders “in harms’ way.”

Exemptions to the Stage II restrictions include: persons with a written permit that specifically authorizes the prohibited acts; the usage of a device solely fuled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off within a certain barren or cleared area; operating generators with an approved spark-arresting device; operating motorized vehicles on designated roads and trails, emergency repair of public utilities and railroads; those conducting activities in designated areas where the activity is specifically authorized by written posted notice, any federal,l state or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty; and other exemptions unique to each agency or tribe.

The National Weather Service reports sunny skies with highs reaching around 90 with overnight lows in the high 50s and lower 60s for the next five days.

For up-to-date information as conditions change, vist http://firerestrictions.us/mt

Johnson said if anyone witnesses suspicious activity, call local law enforcement, and if it is a fire, call 911.

Anyone witnessing abandoned campfires or set fires are asked to contact local police or call 1-800-472-7766, or visit www.wetip.com.