Be On The Lookout For Above-Normal Montana Fire Season

Wind, rain, below-normal temperatures, yes, even snow, have made for an unseasonably cool start to June.

But according to Montana authorities, it is not the recipe for a tame forest fire season in 2020 for Montana. Predictions are calling for somewhat opposite conditions.

An Associated Press release out of Billings reports that a meteorologist with the National Inter-agency Fire Center says the long-term weather outlook for July through September is a high probability for above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation. Michael DeGrosky, the fire protection bureau chief for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, is in the process of deploying resources strategically around the state to ensure a quick response to any fires. The goal is to douse and get ahead of any fires before they need additional resources that might require hundreds of firefighters to congregate while social distancing guidelines are in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. While that is a noble objective, Mother Nature may have plenty to say about that.

Bottom line for Montanans in the great outdoors: be vigilant and cautious and do your part to make sure there is a LOT of social distance between human-caused forest fires.