The Flathead County Commissioners, under the advisement of the Flathead County Fire Warden, approved Stage 1 Wildfire Restrictions in The Northwest Zone to begin at 12:01 a.m. July 29, 2023.
In the last week, these counties have experienced at least two to three new fires each day; half are caused by humans, not nature.
Lincoln Chute from the Office of Emergency Services asked for Resolution No. 2593 which will make it illegal to have campfires in Flathead, Sanders, and Lincoln Counties, and on DNRC (Department of Natural Resources and Conservation) and US Forest Service lands:
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that, at the request of the Flathead County Fire Warden, the Board of Commissioners of Flathead County, Montana, hereby establishes the following Stage I fire restrictions to start July 29, 2023, at 12:01 a.m. local time on all private lands in Flathead County, Montana and the following acts or uses are prohibited:
1. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire.
2. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
3. Operating motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails
VIOLATION OF THESE RESTRICTIONS MAY BE PROSECUTED UNDER APPLICABLE MONTANA LAW.
The link to RESOLUTION NO. 2593 STAGE 1 FIRE RESTRICTIONS can be found here: https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/210d3c4a-86c4-4a48-b41c-0d853a748da8