Fire restrictions lifted

Stage II fire restrictions have been lifted in northwest Montana after being in place for 53 days.

Campfires, internal combustion engines, and off-road travel are now allowed. However, open burning does not begin until Oct. 1.

Northwest Montana was also in very high to extreme fire danger for a good portion of the summer. The Flathead National Forest on Wednesday morning rated the fire danger as “high” following several days of precipitation in the area.

The Montana Department of Natural Resources announced the change effective Wednesday for DNRC land, Glacier National Park, Flathead and Kootenai national forests, DNRC land, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Stimson, Stoltze, and Weyerhaeuser company properties.

The city of Whitefish also lifted restrictions.

Whitefish Fire Chief Joe Page said cooperation amongst all Flathead County fire departments has been exceptional, especially with resources stretched so thin.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank everybody for their cooperation during this past wildland season,” he said in a release. “We were very lucky that the starts we did have in the area were handled quickly.”

Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, and Sanders counties will each be rescinding restrictions independently and effective immediately upon signature of resolutions by respective county commissioners.

Ali Ulwelling of the DNRC issued a reminder that many large fires continue to burn in the area with fire suppression and rehabilitation efforts continuing, and local closures may be in place.

“Cooperating agencies would like to sincerely thank the public for their vigilance in fire prevention this season and remind residents that, while recent rain across the area has affected forest fuel conditions and aided fire suppression efforts, long term forecasts predict a warm dry fall,” Ulwelling of the DNRC stated in a press release. “Please continue to take care, as it will take time for critically dry forest fuels to rebound from the historically low moistures of this summer.”

The National Weather Service in Missoula is calling for a chance of rain through Friday evening. High temperatures are predicted to be in the low 50s the rest of the week and in the high 50s for the Saturday and Sunday.