Wildfire Response and Responsibilities

Montanans have been tasting the smoke from faraway fires for several weeks now, but with August comes the heart of Montana’s wildfire season, and with it, smoke from our own collective backyard. Wildfire fuels have cured, or dried, to the point of being more receptive to sparks and able to support flames. The trees, brush, and grass are not the only carriers of wildfire, however. As many are aware, our neighbors to the west in Spokane, Washington, have recently experienced the latest phenomenon in what drives catastrophic wildfire—urban conflagration.

In such firestorms, homes become the fuel...