Montana fires spread, agencies prepare resources to respond

IT ISN'T JUST OUR REGION OFTHE STATE THOUGH...FIRES BLEW UP ACROSSMONTANA OVER THEWEEKEND AND LEADERSSAY THEY HAVE HAD TOPRIORITIZE THE BEST WAYSTO USE THEIR FIREFIGHTINGRESOURCES.MTN'S JONATHONAMBARIAN TALKS TO THESTATE ABOUT WHAT THEY'REDOING TO STAY AHEAD..."LEADERS WITH MONTANAD-N-R-C SAY THISWEEKEND'S FIRES ARE AGOOD REMINDER OF THENEED TO BE READY TORESPOND."CG: WYATT FRAMPTON,MONTANA DNRC FIREPROTECTION BUREAU DUTYOFFICER"ACROSS THE ENTIRENORTHERN ROCKIES, WE'VESEEN AN INCREASE IN FIREACTIVITY, AND WITH THECONDITIONS FORECAST TO BEHOT AND DRY FOR THEFORESEEABLE FUTURE, SOWE EXPECT TO CONTINUE TONEED TO SHARE ANDCOORDINATE AMONGSTOURSELVES AND PARTNERSFOR THE DURATION OF THESUMMER."LEADERS ESTIMATESEVERAL THOUSANDPEOPLE, FROM LOCALVOLUNTEERS TO STATE ANDFEDERAL AGENCIES.ARE CURRENTLY WORKINGON SUPPRESSING FIRESACROSS MONTANA.WHILE FEWER NEW FIRESWERE REPORTED ONSUNDAY.SEVERAL THAT STARTEDEARLIER IN THE WEEKENDGREW HUNDREDS ORTHOUSANDS OF ACRES.MORE THAN 200-THOUSAND ACRES HAVEALREADY BURNED ACROSSTHE NORTHERN ROCKIESREGION.WHICH INCLUDESMONTANA, NORTHERNIDAHO AND NORTHDAKOTA.AT THE D-N-R-C CENTRALLAND OFFICE IN HELENA,ONE OF THE KEY GOALS ISTO COORDINATE WITH OTHERAGENCIES.SO THEY CAN ALL GETRESOURCES WHERE THEYCAN DO THE MOST GOOD.D-N-R-C WILL ALSO BECLOSELY WATCHINGCONDITIONS.TO TRY TO BE PREPAREDON DAYS WHEN MANYFIRES MIGHT BLOW UP."FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE HADA RED FLAG WARNING, WE'LLEXTEND THE STAFFINGHOURS, AND WE'LL ALSOPREPOSITION RESOURCES INAREAS WHERE THERE HASBEEN LIGHTNING OR THEREMIGHT BE PROJECTED TO BELIGHTNING, JUST TO REDUCERESPONSE TIMES ANDMAKE SURE THAT WE HAVERESOURCES READY TOMOVE AS QUICKLY ASPOSSIBLE WHEN STARTS AREDETECTED."LEADERS SAY THEY AREASKING FOR ASSISTANCEFROM OUT OF STATE.BUT HOW QUICKLY THOSERESOURCES ARRIVE WILLDEPEND ON THE FIRESITUATIONS IN THEIRREGIONS.D-N-R-C ESTIMATES THEFUEL CONDITIONS THEY'RESEEING NOW IN THE STATEWOULD TYPICALLY COMESEVERAL WEEKS LATER INTHE SUMMER.AND THEY'RE ASKINGEVERYONE TO TAKE THECONDITIONS SERIOUSLY."WE DO HAVE ASIGNIFICANT NUMBER OFFIRES THAT HAVE BEENSTARTED BY LIGHTNING, BUTWE ALSO HAVE ANUNCOMFORTABLE NUMBEROF FIRES THAT HAVE BEENCAUSED BY HUMANS, ANDSO WE ASK THAT, WHENTHE PUBLIC IS OUT ANDABOUT RECREATING, THATTHEY DO THEIR PART TO HELPPREVENT WILDFIRES INMONTANA.""THE NORTHERN ROCKIESAREA REMAINS AT FIREPREPAREDNESS LEVELFIVE, THE HIGHEST LEVEL OFCONCERN.IN HELENA, JONATHONAMBARIAN, M-T-NNEWS."THE DNRC SAYS IT WILLEXPAND AIR DETECTIONPATROLS TO LOOK FOR SIGNSOF FIRE.AND IT'S ASKING PEOPLETO REPORT IF THEY SEE NEWCOLUMNS OF SMOKE.