GREAT FALLS — The Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation (DNRC) announced on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, that Stage 1 Restrictions have been implemented for the entire Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest, as well as for Liberty, Glacier, Toole, Teton, Meagher, and Jefferson counties.
The purpose of these fire restrictions is to reduce the risk of human-caused fires during periods of elevated fire danger and burning conditions.
These restrictions apply to private lands, state lands under the jurisdiction of DNRC and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Tribal lands under the Blackfeet Nation in the specified counties.
STAGE 1 FIRE RESTRICTIONS
The following actions are prohibited until further notice:
- Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire unless as noted in the listed exemptions.
- Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of flammable materials.
Stage 1 Exemptions:
- Persons with a written permit specifically authorizing the prohibited act.
- Persons using a device fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off, in a cleared area within three feet of the device.
- Persons conducting authorized activities in designated areas with posted notice.
- Federal, State, or local officers, or organized rescue/firefighting forces performing official duties.
- All land within a city boundary.
- Other exemptions unique to each agency/tribe.
Fire restrictions are determined based on factors like human-caused fires, fire danger ratings, weather conditions, fuel moisture, resource availability, and safety concerns for firefighters and the public.
MTN News
Fire restrictions can vary and change rapidly. Contact the relevant agency for your area to confirm permitted activities. Visit MtFireInfo.org for further information.
