As Autumn sets in with cooler temperatures and mountain snow, fire season is coming to an end.
According to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation The total area in the state burned by wildfires this year is way below normal at just over 76,000 acres. This is the fourth lowest total in the last 15 years.
But the number of fires is slightly above normal, currently sitting at around 2,200, the 6th highest in the past 15 years, indicating that most fires were not allowed to grow out of control.
Quick fire response times and a cooler and wetter than normal summer allowed for significantly less days of smoke-filled skies than in previous years.
The largest blaze in the state was just west of Helena in Powell County. Burning in the higher terrain of the Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area, the Windy Rock Fire broke out in mid-August and still has firefighters on it today! It has burned a total of 6,175 acres, and at one point threatened homes and private property in the area.
The Jericho Mountain and the Hilger Valley Fire’s also affected the Helena area but were relatively smaller in size.
A pair of twin fires in the Tobacco Root Mountains That broke out independently of each other in mid-August burned around 6,000 combined acres.
Although fires can occur at any point in the year, Montana's main season runs from Late May through Early October. Let’s hope for even less activity when the next fire season rolls around.
For up-to-date fire information, visit the MTfireinfo.org
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