Montana On The Ground

Independently reported news stories of Montana's people, land, water and wildlife.

Logging project wouldn't have stopped Roaring Lion Fire

August 10, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

The Roaring Lion Fire is causing some new wrinkles in old arguments over wildfire suppression.

The 11-day-old Roaring Lion Fire southwest of Hamilton is now nothing like the fire-storm that appeared on July 31. On that day, volunteer Rick Potts was manning the St. Mary Lookout west of Stevensville when he spotted the first tendrils of smoke. By the time, he and other lookouts could triangulate the position, the fire was billowing smoke high into the sky over the Bitteroot Mountains.

Montana Forestry Division anticipates normal fire season

May 04, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

It appears that Montana may have a normal fire season, but “normal” is still nothing to take for granted, according to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

On Wednesday, Mike DeGrosky, DNRC Fire Aviation and Management Bureau Chief, told the Legislative Environmental Quality Council that long-range forecasts appear to indicate that Montana will an average fire season, but that still means plenty of fires.

Obama budget adds half-percent for federal land management

February 09, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

The Obama administration’s final proposal for an annual budget would allocate $13.4 billion to the Department of the Interior for everything from wildfire suppression to funding for scientific research. But with a Republican-led Congress in an election year, parts of the budget could fall by the wayside by September.

Heat wave increases threats of wildfire, fish kills

July 02, 2015 by Laura Lundquist

For the past week, the jet stream has forced Montana to resemble Arizona, prompting several fireworks and fishing restrictions.

High temperature records for the end of June have been blown out of the water in Montana, especially in the western part of the state. The heat settled over Washington, Idaho and Montana over the weekend, and temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal should last at least until Sunday.