Char-Koosta News

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Fire restrictions in place for the Flathead Reservation

The entire Flathead Reservation is included in the Stage I regulations. Pursuant to authority established in 25 CFR 163.28, the Hell Gate Treaty, the CS&KT Tribal Constitution, and the Tribal Forest Products Harvesting Ordinance 61 C, the following acts are prohibited on all lands within the exterior boundaries of the Flathead Reservation. 

The following acts are prohibited until further notice:
    1. Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire except within a developed recreation site.
    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 material.

Stage I Exemptions:
    1. Person with a written permit that specifically authorizes the otherwise prohibited act.
    2. Persons using a device solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can turn on and off.
    3. Person(s) conduction activities in those designated areas where the activity is specifically authorized by written posted notice.
    4. Any Federal, State, or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.
    5. All lands within a city boundary is exempted
    6. Other exemptions unique to each agency/tribe

An exemption does not absolve an individual or organization from liability or responsibility for any fire started by the exempted activity.

PABLO — Stage I fire restrictions will be placed into effect as of 1 a.m. on Saturday, July 14, 2007 and will remain in effect until rescinded. As of July 1, burning permits will no longer be issued due to wind and high temperatures. The fire conditions of the eastern reservation are in the moderate to high, while the western fire conditions are extreme. All restrictions will continue into effect until the weather permits otherwise. On Tuesday, July 17, there will be a meeting taken place on the decision to move to a stage II fire restriction.

“Just today we had forty-two fires that needed to be put out. Forty were man caused and two were from lightning. The majority of fires are caused from escape campfires, which were probably fires built in non-prohibited areas,” says Curtis Matt with fire control. In order of preventing the problem that fires built in non-prohibited areas could cause, Fire Control is planning on using left over funding to build fire rings in camp areas.

“So far, the largest fire we’ve come across this year was Gurette Flatts which was twenty-seven acres. That was a machinery fire that burned in a hay field. It took one helicopter and four engines to put it out. The biggest problem that is contributing to the control of fires this time of year is the fireworks, which we consider the Devil of fire. People need to be careful and make sure the fireworks are completely put out before they leave,” says Matt.

Fire Control announces that there will no longer be training offered to the public. There is currently a Native American Crew (NAC) of fifty-five firefighters available and a crew based in Job Corp. There is, however, a basic wild land fire training offered through Fenix Forestry LLC. Please contact Suzanne R. Flynn at 406-250-2698. The training will be offered to private individuals outside of the federal agency. Please contact Fire Control for further information on the basic training as well as reporting a fire at 675-2700 (Extension: 6400)

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