Fire Report

Governor’s Fire Briefing from fire management professionals at DNRC:

As of Tuesday, August 31 at around 2 p.m., there are 18 large fire incidents in Montana. The state is in preparedness level 3. Since January 1, there have been over 2,160 fire starts in Montana burning around 827,000 acres. Since the governor’s fire briefing last Tuesday, there have been over 70 new fire starts. Officials estimate approximately 50 residences have been lost this year to date. The largest, and top priority, fire in Montana is the Woods Creek Fire, at 55,000 acres and 90 percent containment. Montana entered the fiscal year with the Fire Suppression Fund at its statutory maximum of roughly $105 million. Officials estimate that $48.5 million from the fund have been spent fighting fire since the start of the state’s current fiscal year.