‘Think like an ember’ this fire season

Now is the time to prepare homes, make emergency plans and communicate with neighbors, according to wildfire experts who spoke at the Living with Wildfire seminar in Whitefish last week.

The event hosted by Firesafe Flathead featured presentations from several experts including Big Mountain Fire Chief Ben DeVall, Marcel Getz, community preparedness and fire prevention specialist with the Montana DNRC Northwest Land Office, Whitefish Police Chief Bridger Kelch, Richard Hildner of Firesafe Flathead, Whitefish Fire Department Chief Cole Hadley and Flathead National Forest Fire Management Officer Rick Connell.

Connell reviewed last year’s fire season and gave an outlook for the summer.

Looking back to 2023, Flathead National Forest saw 45 fires with 14,136 acres burned. That was a little less than the median number of fires started and a little more than the median for the number of acres burned over the last few decades.  

Last year the valley saw above-average rainfall in May, but precipitation dropped throughout the summer. In August, moisture from remnants of Hurricane Hilary helped spare Northwest Montana from what would have likely been another 100,000 acres burnt, according to Connell. 

As for this summer, recent spring rains have helped make up for light snowfall over winter. That means current drought conditions are set to improve over the next few weeks.  

This summer’s temperatures are predicted to be warmer than usual, similar to last year.  

Considering all that, the fire season for the valley is looking to have a normal, average start. 

June through late July there’s predicted to be an average number of fires with total acres burned likely to be less than 10,000. 

However, the overall potential for significant wildfires in Northwest Montana starts to trend above normal for August and especially September.  

Fall is harder to predict, Connell said.

 “I can’t tell you what the fall will look like yet ... the El Nino, La Niña patterns are shifting,” he said. 

Preparations: what to do now  

Getz gave a presentation on how to “think like an ember” and to prepare by focusing on the home ignition zone. 

The home ignition zone is the area up to 200 feet from a home’s foundation that can ignite during a wildfire.  

For the home itself, use ignition resistant materials when possible, including walls, roofs, vents and decking.

In all zones, focus on fuel reduction and regular maintenance, such as cleaning gutters, raking pine needles and using flame-resistant stains on decks. 

The immediate or zero zone is 0-5 feet from your house and is the most important spot for preparing and removing combustibles. In this zone, it is advised to remove overhanging tree limbs, shrubs and plant debris and bird nests.  

The intermediate zone is 5-30 feet from the house. Vegetation is OK here but is best spaced out and monitored. Create spacing between trees and between tree limbs and the ground and remove firewood piles.  

In the extended zone of 30-100 feet from the home, keep grasses and trees thinned.  

“It sounds like a lot of work, but you don’t need to clearcut the extended zone,” said Getz. “Just keep it trimmed.” 

Above all, Getz said to reach out for information and to have a property evaluated.  

The DNRC offers free home risk assessments that help homeowners prepare for the threat of wildfire, during which recommendations will be made to help decrease the risk of property damage and loss from wildfire. 

“Give us a call – we'd be happy to come out and look at your property,” Getz said.  

However, according to Hildner, the home ignition zone isn’t always as applicable in Whitefish.  

“Many homes in town don’t have 200 feet of land,” Hildner said. “We have next door neighbors. We have all kinds of things growing against our home, and our wood piles right next to the house and stacked on decks. And there’s wood fences close.”

Hildner said to talk to neighbors about emergency plans or about anything concerning that could ignite.  

In the event of a fire, an evacuation warning means there’s a good probability of needing to evacuate in the future.  

“If you live on a long, narrow road, or just need more time, for example, when you get the warning -- you should get moving,” said DeVall, even if it’s not yet a mandated order.  

Once an official evacuation order, which is about 8-12 hours away from the impact of a fire, is given, access to the area is prohibited and roadblocks will stay up through a maintenance phase of the evacuation order.  

In the recovery phase, after evacuation, there may still be limitations to entry, as it's not always safe with possible hazards from downed power lines and trees and emergency crews working.

As for power lines, "we've met with Flathead Electric and have been told that they have no exact plan as far as turning power off in the event of a wildfire,” DeVall said.  

When an audience member asked what to do about the lack of plans, the consensus was to take initiative. 

“It’s up to individuals to take action and do things like contact Flathead Electric,” said Hildner.

Above all, DeVall said “make sure you have an evacuation plan, do what you’re told, and work with your neighbors.  

“Take it upon yourselves to work together to make a plan where we can take care of each other,” he said.

When considering insurance, a representative from Goosehead Insurance said it’s a tight market for fire insurance with high premiums. 

Prior to 2018, insurance companies only had to look at distance to fire department and distance to water to determine premiums. Now, insurance considers three additional factors: slope, fuel density and access.  

Firesafe Flathead has a whole score of resources for places across the valley available online at firesafeflathead.com/resources. 

People can also sign up for city of Whitefish and Flathead County emergency notifications online. Several experts recommended that people be aware of what kind of notifications they receive.  

“You need to stay active because programs like CODE Red are always changing. Make sure you check every year to see what systems you’re signed up for,” said DeVall. 

To schedule a free property assessment, go to dnrc.mt.gov/Forestry/Resources/request-a-site-visit.

Editor's note: Following the seminar and the publishing of this article, Flathead Electric Cooperative provided a comprehensive Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP) which is updated regularly. People with questions about the plan can call the Co-op and ask for Amanda Opp, integrated services manager, who leads wildfire mitigation efforts and several teams such as vegetation management.