Fire managers in the Flathead Valley elevated the fire danger to “very high” on Wednesday as hot and dry weather continues to bake the region.
Meanwhile, the Kootenai National Forest announced it would enter Stage 1 fire restrictions on Friday. Stage 1 fire restrictions prohibit campfires outside of designated recreation sites or smoking anywhere outside of an enclosed vehicle or building.
“Due to recent prolonged high temperatures, grasses and forest fuels are drying quickly. Without any precipitation in the forecast, this trend will continue,” officials stated in a press release from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC).
Officials are urging people to be vigilant and do everything they can to prevent wildfires. According to the DNRC, 16 fires in Northwest Montana were reported in the past week and all of them have been human caused.