Fire safety needs to be priority

Smoke filled skies followed by more smoke filled skies. That has been the story of this whole week. Fortunately, the smoke is not being generated on the North Fork. In fact, a lot of the smoke is coming from as far away as Washington and added to that smoke is smoke from Marston Peak to our west and a big fire near Nyack on the southern edge of Glacier Park. The smoke is so thick the mountains are obscured, the sun is a dim red and you can see small bits of ash falling from the sky.

With Stage 2 fire restrictions in force, it would seem that everyone would really concentrate on fire safety. Even so, there have been several campfires noted (and extinguished) by members of the North Fork Patrol and by concerned neighbors.

There have been nearly 1,900 wildfires in Montana this year with almost 60 percent of them human caused - that is unnecessary and stupid, especially at this point. Firefighting resources are almost entirely committed to existing fires and to current initial attack efforts. That means new starts may not be fought when first spotted. That means small fires may become bigger and bigger fires are harder to control. We all need to be extra careful and alert to counter the actions of the stupid among us.

While we are all concerned about fire, most folks are adapting. Instead of campfires by the river, we are moving toward indoor dinner parties and not driving vehicles off road in grassy areas.

Fire mitigation efforts continue on Trail Creek Road despite restrictions on chainsaws. The thinning projects reduce fuels on both sides of the road and make the road safer as an escape route to Eureka and as an access route for firefighters.

The thinning is complete on the Hoiland property and will be completed on the Moris property soon. Hopefully, the Flathead County chipper will be able to mulch the debris piles before we have a fire. Thanks to everyone who has contracted to do this work and to the Fire Mitigation Committee for getting the grant. A federal grant pays for 75 percent of the work and the landowner pays 25 percent. Flathead County is donating the chipper, which may cover the 25 percent landowner share.

Even though we have been proactive and lucky with the weather, the fire season is not over. We could well have another 6-8 weeks before we have a real season ending wet weather event.

In the meantime, be careful, be watchful and above all, be prepared to help your neighbor.