Firefighters Train for Wildfire, Community Encouraged to use Common Sense on 4th

June 29, 2015 Emergency Management

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With the 4th of July coming up, many are looking forward to celebrating with friend and family – and many are planning on using fireworks.

While many are planning their celebration, firefighters are putting their plans together on how they will handle the inevitable wildfires.

Our community is quickly jumping into wildfire season with fires beginning to appear all around us and officials are well aware that many of the wildfire risk factors are present here in Gallatin County. Our mountain snow pack melted early, we had well below average spring rain, and now we have above average temperatures. These factors combined with a fire getting ignited can often lead to rapid fire growth and a large wildfire escaping initial attack.

Local officials highly encourage our community to recreate with common sense over the 4th of July. Be careful with your campfire, tend it closely and make sure it is completely out. If you use fireworks, always use extreme caution as their exact behavior can be unpredictable. Here are a couple tips to keep in mind:

Never set off fireworks near dry grass or other vegetation.
If the wind is blowing, don’t light your fireworks.
Always have water and/ or an extinguisher available in case something does catch fire.
If a fire starts, call 911 immediately. The longer you wait, the harder it is to put out.
You are responsible to any damage caused by your fireworks, so consider playing it safe and attend a commercial fireworks show.

Local firefighters have been preparing in case a fire does get started. On Saturday, June 27th local firefighters trained on the use of helicopters in suppressing wildfires near Bozeman Pass. This training was conducted in cooperation with the Montana Department of Natural Resources Helitack Crew, Custer Gallatin National Forest Rappel Crew & Carisch Helicopters.