The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation that this year’s fire season has been near or below average in the Treasure State.
During an Environmental Quality Council meeting in Helena earlier this week, the DNRC’s Bob Harrington reported that 252 fires this season have burned 23,000 acres of state-managed land.
The total cost to fight the blazes is an estimated $15.1 million, but Harrington cautioned the committee that fire season is not over yet.
“The season’s not over we’re not pretending that it’s over, there might be some fast moving fires in Montana once we get into fall, the biggest and most challenging part of the season is winding down with the weather and the precipitation precede,” said Harrington.
Harrington estimates there could be as much as $7 million left in the state firefighting fund by the end of the season.