Gov. Steve Bullock will get a briefing on Montana’s wildfire outlook Friday from a group of interagency fire partners. The governor’s annual fire season meeting delivers predictions on wildland fire potential and updates on the readiness of agencies to respond once fire breaks out.
According to a June 1 outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center, normal potential for significant large fires is expected for most of the state through the summer. In the northwest corner of Montana there could be above-average fire conditions in July and September, according to that report.
Montana is coming off a relatively mild fire season last year, when about 100,000 acres burned. That followed the historic burns of 2017, when more than 1.3 million acres burned.
According to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, there is $37.5 million dollars in the state’s fire fund. That’s more than enough to cover the costs for an average recent fire season.
Even if the fund dries up, state officials say it won’t prevent firefighting efforts.
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