Hill and Chouteau counties enact fire restrictions

The unrelenting dry conditions and heightened fire dangers have prompted the commissioners in Hill and Chouteau counties to put in place Stage 1 fire restrictions, joining other counties including Blaine that are already restricting outdoor fires and smoking.

Hill County Commissioner Diane McLean said the restrictions will go into effect at 12:01 a.m Friday and will remain until they are lifted. McLean said when they are lifted will depend on weather conditions.

She said the commissioner’s office has been receiving calls from people  since about the Fourth of July requesting such restrictions be put in place.

“The public have been asking for fire restrictions for a couple of weeks,” McLean said.

The fire in the Little Rocky Mountains near Zortman, Landusky, Hays and Lodge Pole shows the severity of the dry conditions in the area, she said.

Stage 1 fire restrictions also will go into effect Friday in Fergus, Judith Basin and Petroleum counties, an interagency press release says.

Restrictions went into effect in Roosevelt, Sheridan and Valley counties and on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation the same time as Blaine County, June 30.

Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation banned all outdoor burning earlier this week.

The  release said that when restrictions go into effect the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 6 will ban all campfires at fishing access sites in the county with the exception of the fishing access site at Bear Paw Lake.

Stage 1 fire restrictions prohibit the building, maintaining, attending or use of a campfire — except within a developed recreation site, fire ring or improved site. Smoking is prohibited except within an enclosed vehicle, building or a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area barren and cleared of all Flammable materials and is at least feet in diameter.

Fireworks are prohibited on all state and federal lands and exploding targets are considered a pyrotechnic product and therefore prohibited on any federal land throughout the year.

The restrictions exempt people with a written permit authorizing the person to burn, and people using a device solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on or off. Those devices can only be used in an area that is barren or cleared of all overhead or surrounding flammable materials within three feet of the device; by people conducting activities in those designated areas where the activities are specifically authorized by written posted notice; and by any federal, state or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.

All land within the boundaries of a city are also exempt. Any individual who causes a wildfire intentionally or through negligence will be held accountable for damages and suppression costs.