We Are Going to Stage II Fire Restrictions Thursday

Our thanks to Jordan Koppen, public relations specialist with the Southwestern Land Office/DNRC for keeping us updated on this.

Stage II fire restrictions will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, across southwest Montana. State, county and private jurisdictions implementing restrictions are: MT-DNRC Southwestern Land Office/State Land and private-classified forested land within Granite, Lake, Missoula, Mineral, Ravalli, Sanders and Powell Counties (Granite County and Powell County lands north of I 90. Powell is not implementing Stage II restrictions on private lands not classified as forested); Montana FWP Regions 1 and 2; Granite, Lake, Missoula, Mineral, Ravalli and Sanders Counties; Missoula open spaces, conservation lands and non-irrigated park lands.

WHAT ACTS ARE PROHIBITED UNDER STAGE II RESTRICTIONS?

>Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire/campfire.

>Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreations site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.

There are also a number of "hoot owl" restrictions, 1:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. on work-related activities, including operating combustible engines, welding or using open-flame torches, explosives use, etc., unless permits allow otherwise. It is smartest to check first.

There's lots to absorb here, folks, but the bottom line is the purpose of the restrictions being intended to reduce the risk of human-caused fires during the extreme fire dangers we are facing now. Please do your part and be safe!

DB