Agencies lift Stage One fire restrictions

The Daily Inter Lake

Fire protection agencies across Northwest Montana have dropped Stage One fire restrictions for the region, as of midnight last night.

The public can once again have campfires or smoke without restrictions, said Jeremy Pris of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation in Kalispell.

But he cautioned that people still need to use common sense and be careful when using fire in wooded areas.

There are two exceptions within the region where Stage One restrictions still apply, however: the portion of the Kootenai National Forest that is within Sanders County, and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.

Restrictions still apply in the wilderness area because it is jointly managed by four national forests, and the intent is to have a consistent policy on fire restrictions throughout the wilderness. The Lolo National Forest's portion of the wilderness is still considerably dry.

Otherwise, restrictions were dropped for all forested areas within Lincoln and Flathead counties, the Flathead and Kootenai national forests, Glacier National Park, and lands managed by the state and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Thursday's decision was prompted by recent precipitation, lower temperatures and higher humidities in the region, along with a long-term forecast that projects fall-like weather patterns to prevail, delivering moisture once a week, Pris said.

"We'd like to thank the public for their understanding while we were in fire restrictions," Pris said.

But he cautioned that "there is a possibility that we will have to go back into fire restrictions" if there is a return to prolonged hot, dry weather.