Reducing wildfire risk focus of talk Wednesday

Reducing wildfire risk and public health impacts from smoke is the focus of a community forum on Wednesday, Oct. 18.

The event is sponsored by the Whitefish Fire Department and the Whitefish climate action plan committee. The forum begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be held in Council Chambers at City Hall.

“All of Whitefish is considered part of the WUI, the Wildland-Urban Interface,” says Whitefish Fire Chief Joe Page. “While you may not have a huge number of trees in your yard or around your home, the fact is that we all live within range of an ember shower. Embers from a nearby wildland fire is what burns down homes.”

The city fire department also provides residential fire protection for homes in heavily forested areas outside city limits.

“There are a number of things we can all do to reduce the risk from a wildland fire,” Page says. “Sometimes people are overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem and feel they can’t do everything, so they give up. We’re here to tell you that every little bit helps and some of the small simple steps will have huge benefits.”

City Fire Marshall Travis Tveidt and FireSafe Flathead Coordinator Ali Ulwelling will discuss actions that homeowners, neighborhoods and the community can take to prepare for the next hot fire season. Mike West will discuss fuel management programs on the Flathead National Forest.

Flathead County Public Health Director Officer Hillary Hanson will discuss what the county is doing to address public health impacts from wildfire smoke. Amy Cilimburg from Climate Smart Missoula will talk about Missoula’s new initiative to protect vulnerable populations during smoke-filled summers. Mike West, assistant fire management officer with the Tally Lake District of the Flathead National Forest, will also speak.

The new Montana Climate Assessment, published last month by scientists from Montana State University and University of Montana, anticipates a future of hotter, drier summers with longer and more intense fire seasons in western Montana.

The Whitefish climate action plan committee has identified fire risk and wildfire smoke as significant vulnerabilities in and around Whitefish as climate change is projected to accelerate in the coming decades.

The committee invites public suggestions on what the city can do to reduce risk and prepare for the fire next time.