FireSafe Montana is a private, non-profit organization coordinating and supporting a statewide coalition of diverse interests working together to help Montanans make their homes, neighborhoods, and communities fire safe.
FireSafe Montana actively encourages and assists in the development of local FireSafe councils across the state. These councils are key to raising public awareness of local wildland fire threats and issues, motivating residents to take positive action, and providing access to the expertise and resources homeowners need to get the job done. When people take personal responsibility for applying and maintaining Firewise practices on their property, they greatly increase the chances of their homes surviving a wildfire.
Through its public information programs and materials, website, newsletter, and special events, as well as its active involvement in federal, state, and local fire mitigation efforts, FireSafe Montana is working hard to reduce the potential loss of life and property from wildfire in Montana.
Mission
To assemble diverse interests in a coalition that will work together on solutions to reduce the loss of lives and property from the threat of fire in and around Montana communities.
Mobilize Montanans to make their homes, neighborhoods, and communities fire safe.
Goal
One of our first goals is to assist in the formation and development of local FireSafe Councils across the State of Montana. FireSafe councils work throughout the state to address neighborhood wildland fire threats. These councils help provide the awareness, motivation, expertise, and resources that will help Montana communities survive wildland fire.
FireSafe Councils and Hazardous Fuels Mitigation Task Forces
Lincoln County FireSafe Council
Park County FireSafe Coalition
Painted Rocks FireSafe Council
Lockwood FireSafe Council
Flathead Economic Policy Center and Northwest Hazardous Fuels Mitigation
Glacier County FireSafe Council
North Fork of the Flathead Fuels Mitigation Task Force
Custer County Hazardous Fuels Task Force
Frequently Asked Questions
What is FireSafe Montana?
FireSafe Montana is a non-government entity offering statewide coordination of efforts supporting firesafe programs and firewise activities. FireSafe Montana functions as a statewide information clearinghouse, advocate, and nexus point for firewise activities in Montana.
What is the wildland-urban interface (WUI)?
The wildland-urban interface refers to the line, area, or zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. Wildland fires can burn in the WUI, especially in many areas of Montana.
Why is it important for homeowners in the WUI to be prepared prior to a wildland fire?
Homeowners who take proactive steps to mitigate the risk of home ignition due to a wildland fire have a better chance of their home surviving the fire than those who do nothing to their property.
The key is in reducing the ignition potential of your home. Our hope is that as you prepare your home for survivable space, your neighbors will do likewise and a contiguous nature of each property will provide a larger, more defensible space.
What are “Firewise” concepts?
The Firewise approach emphasizes community responsibility for planning in the design of a safe community as well as effective emergency response and individual responsibility for safer home construction and design, landscaping, and maintenance. http://www.firewise.org
What are some ways homeowners can mitigate risk from wildland fire?
Firewise techniques that homeowners and communities utilize include using fire-resistant plants in their landscaping, thinning trees and brush, building with ignition-resistant materials, choosing building sites away from slopes and coordinating with firefighters and other fire management teams to develop emergency plans. Click here for Firewise Plant suggestions for Montana
Do I need to cut down all my trees in order to be “fire safe?”
No. Clearing out dead vegetation and thinning trees and brush can actually result in improved aesthetics of your property. Opening up the tree canopy allows for grass and wildflowers to flourish in the sunlight.
Whose responsibility is it to provide my property with survivable space?
It is your responsibility.
What is survivable space?
A structure in the Wildland Urban Interface chances of surviving a wildland fire are greatly increased by incorporating fuel management techniques, hardening the structure in its construction characteristics and materials, minimizing firebrand receptive beds, such as, debris, pine needles, firewood stacks, etc., and performing regular maintenance. Nothing provides a guarantee that a structure will survive a wildland fire. Our use of the term “survivable space” is a reference to this combination of topographical location of the building site, design, construction, and fuel/vegetation management to limit the ignition zone around the structure. This will provide the best chance for a structure to resist loss and/or major damage during a wildland fire, on its own, without direct suppression intervention by firefighters.