Mother Nature has been keeping reservation fires at bay

By B.L. Azure

RONAN — It ain't over until it's over. The fire season, that is. It has been wet - very wet - this spring and much of the summer on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The intermittent douses of summer have been relatively mild and each time the weather heated up in western Montana timely rains would come to cool it down. The quirky weather patterns are a boon for vegetation growth but that could turn out to be a bust for firefighters when it is all cured and Mother Nature reveals her other side.

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Division of Fire information and education officer Curt Matt reported Tuesday that fire conditions on the Flathead Indian Reservation remain dicey. The fire index for the western portion of the reservation is "Very High" and it is "High" on the eastern portion.

"We've got a lot of green grasses that haven't cured yet. There is still a lot of green out there. When they do (cure) that'll be a good set up for a fire," Matt said, adding that the weather for the next few days is predicted to be in the high 80s and low 90s, temperature-wise.

The DOF was busy over the weekend with some small fires throughout the reservation, Matt said.

A probable human caused fire near Buffalo Bridge was reported last Thursday. The fire consumed approximately 43 acres before being brought under control Monday.

At its height there were nearly 50 DOF personnel working to suppress it. Monday morning, two 20-person DOF firefighting crews completed mop-up duties. Firefighters will now monitor the area to make sure the fire is out for good.

"The cause of the fire appears to be a campfire," Matt said. "The fire ignited near a campsite near Buffalo Bridge, that is the probable cause but it remains under investigation."

There was a small fire in the Valley Creek area over the weekend. The fire on the 5,000-road consumed less than a half an acre before being contained and controlled. Four firefighters remained on-site through Tuesday to ensure that the fire is out. Once the firefighters are called off it will be monitored daily by patrol.

The cause, Matt said is unknown but the initial investigation points to human causation.

The DOF was also checking on a lightning-caused fire in the St. Mary's area southeast of St. Ignatius Monday. "We got a good jump on it and hopefully it will be put out today," Matt said.

The DOF has busy off the reservation as well. It dispatched an administrative person to eastern Montana to assist in the Raven Rat Pack fire along the Missouri River.

The DOF has dispatched its leased-helicopter with a Type II (heli-attack) crew to the Alder Creek fire in the Lolo National Forest southeast of Stevensville. The fire was spotted early Sunday morning and had consumed more than 500 acres by Tuesday.

The U.S. Forest Service has ordered two Type III helicopters and two Type II fire crews as well as smokejumpers and retardant drops to combat the blaze. In all there are nearly 100 firefighters on the fire lines. They are being hampered by the high winds in the area.

There was also a small lightning-caused fire southwest of Stevensville that had consumed an acre before being brought under control.

When the DOF is not busy fighting fires on or off the reservation it bides its time by informing and educating the public as well as other firefighting organizations on fire prevention.

A big part of fighting fires is through fire prevention, Matt said, adding that many fires are human-caused and many of those could be prevented with good knowledge about fire causation and cost of extinguishment. "If they don't start we don't have to put them out," Matt said.

The DOF has a team of fire information and education officers that work with other firefighting agencies, schools and other Indian reservations on spreading the word about fire and prevention.

"When we go to other Indian reservations with our program it usually is for two weeks," Matt said. "We were in Browning last week with our Fire Prevention Team. A lot of the other reservations and small volunteer fire departments don't have this type of program. So we come in and show them how to set up a fire education program that they can do in local schools. Hitting the schools with our education program is one of our biggest efforts. The younger they can grasp their roles in fire prevention and safety the better."

Matt said the DOF has - for the most part - ditched Smokey The Bear as its mascot. The reason is twofold. One, Smokey is often intimidating to the younger children, and two, they couldn't alter Smokey's appearance.

"Our new mascot is Buck The Deer," Matt said. "Buck doesn't look as intimidating as Smokey. We can also dress him up in school team colors and that helps the young kids warm up to him."

The Fire Prevention Team also conducts training classes for fire personnel on the other reservations on how to facilitate a good fire information and education program for their area schools. They also do training on the administrative component of fire fighting as well as fire investigation techniques.

"We want them to be able to catch the lighters," Matt said.

The DOF urges people to be very cognizant of the fire danger and to exercise caution in the urban interface and when working or recreating in timber and grasslands.

Currently there are no restrictions in place but people in the backcountry and off the beaten path should always carry an ax, bucket and shovel. Campfires should be in designated camps with fire rings and be thoroughly extinguished before leaving the area.

For more information or to report a fire, contact the DOF at 676-2550.