Cascade County Disaster & Emergency Services

09/02/2026

ALERT UPDATES (9/2/2026 @0850):

Cascade County, City of Great Falls and Mutual aid partners are actively responded to calls for service within the City and throughout Cascade County.

MULTIPLE WILDLAND FIRES reported 9/2/2026.

Emergency crews responded to multiple wildland fires throughout Cascade County as high winds created dangerous fire conditions through downed power lines and additional ignition sources.

Reported fires:

Cora Creek Rd/MT Highway 200, Belt MT - In mop up
Church St/Belt Creek Rd, Belt MT - Extinguished
Fisk Rd, Simms MT - Extinguished

A HUGE thank you to our County, Military, DNRC and Mutual Aid partners for a SWIFT and collaborative response to the influx of wild land fire activity. We are grateful for the collaborative effort all all response teams to ensure the best outcome of today’s events. ❤️

End of update.
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Please avoid affected areas. Keeping roads and access points clear is critical so firefighters, law enforcement, and other emergency responders can safely reach these incidents. Do not drive toward fire areas to watch, take photos, or check conditions.

Help keep yourself and your family safe:
• Stay alert for changing conditions — high winds can cause fire to spread rapidly and change direction with little warning.
• Secure outdoor items that could blow into roadways or power lines.
• Stay away from downed power lines and report them immediately.
• Keep your phone charged and monitor official sources for emergency information.
• If you live near an active fire, be prepared to leave quickly if conditions change or evacuation instructions are issued.

Conditions are changing quickly. Please give our responders the space and access they need to work safely.

DO NOT CALL 911 UNLESS THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO HEALTH AND SAFETY, OR YOU ARE REPORTING A FIRE.

Stay alert. Stay clear. Stay safe.

08/26/2026

NEWS RELEASE August 25, 2026

Cascade County reports first human case of West Nile Virus. Read the CCHD press release below 👇

NEWS RELEASE August 25, 2026

Cascade County reports first human case of West Nile Virus

Cascade County public health officials have reported the state’s first case of West Nile Virus (WNV) in a human. The last human case reported in Cascade County was in 2018.

WNV is a virus is primarily spread to people by mosquito bites. The severity and symptoms of WNV can vary widely. Approximately 80% of persons infected experience no symptoms, but up to 20% of infected persons can develop a mild illness called West Nile fever.

Residents are strongly encouraged to take steps to protect themselves. The single best defense against WNV is bite prevention. To protect yourself, use the 5 Ds:
• DEET - Apply repellent containing an EPA-registered active ingredient, such as DEET, and follow the directions on the package.
• DUSK and DAWN - This is when mosquitoes are most active. Try to avoid outdoor activities during these times.
• DRAIN STANDING WATER - Standing water is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Drain such areas around your home (gutters, pools, tires, buckets, water bowls, etc.).
• DRESS APPROPRIATELY - Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks.

Cascade County W**d & Mosquito Division has been conducting regular treatments for mosquito larvae and adult mosquitoes and will continue to do so in addition to ongoing surveillance and monitoring efforts.

Media inquiries should be directed to Trisha Gardner at 406-791-9261 or Joshua Blystone at 406-454-6920.

08/21/2026

NEWS RELEASE 8/21/2026

West Nile Virus Detected in Cascade County Mosquito Pool

The first West Nile Virus (WNV) positive mosquito sample of 2026 has been confirmed for Cascade County. A WNV positive sample of adult Culex tarsalis mosquitos was collected southeast of the town of Simms.

The single best defense against WNV is bite prevention.
To protect yourself, use the 5 Ds:
• DEET - Apply repellent containing an EPA-registered active ingredient, such as DEET, and follow the directions on the package.
• DUSK and DAWN - This is when mosquitoes are most active. Try to avoid outdoor activities during these times.
• DRAIN STANDING WATER - Standing water is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Drain such areas around your home (gutters, pools, tires, buckets, water bowls, etc.).
• DRESS APPROPRIATELY - Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks.

Media inquiries should be directed at Trisha Gardner at 406-791-9261 or Joshua Blystone at 406-454-6920.

Full Information is within attached release.

08/03/2026

✨✨ It’s National Emergency Management Awareness Month! ✨✨

Do you ever wonder what an Emergency Manager is, and why your community has one?

Simply put, we are the glue that holds everything together when it starts to fall apart.

Watch this short clip exposing what we do behind the scenes!

08/02/2026

Cal Fire has it figured out when it comes to fire preparedness. Here in Montana, wildfire risk is especially high this time of year. Fire moves FAST, comes without warning and is unforgiving.

Are you and your entire family prepared to get up and go?

Your Emergency Go-bags should have important documents, changes of clothes, essential medications, extra cash, pet registrations and temporary food and water supply at the minimum.

Emergency preparedness is the one thing everyone wishes they would have paid attention to when disaster strikes. Are you prepared?

08/01/2026

Wildland Fire Report:

A wildland fire was reported north of Great Falls in Cascade County, MT near the intersection of Bootlegger Trail and Wilson Road.

Incident Command estimates 72 acres burned. At this time, 1442 8/1/2026, crews are in mop up and have successfully extinguished the fire.

HUGE thank you to all responding crews in their collaboration and communication efforts, yielding a swift and successful response.

Remember, if you see smoke or flames, dial 911 immediately.

07/27/2026

Increased wildfire activity across the nation has yielded poor air quality across the state of Montana. Cascade County is under an air quality alert! Sensitive groups should stay indoors if possible.

Stay up to date on air quality and smoke maps here:

https://www.airnow.gov/?city=Great%20Falls&state=MT&country=USA
todaysair.mtdeq.us

By Tuesday afternoon, the Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS) smoke model shows areas of heavy smoke covering much of the western half of the state from domestic and regional wildfires.

Source: HRRR-smoke

Montana DEQ has issued an air quality alert for Blaine, Cascade, Chouteau, Deer Lodge, Fergus, Glacier, Granite, Hill, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Missoula, Petroleum, Pondera, Powell, Ravalli, Silver Bow, Teton, Toole, Phillips counties. The alert expires at 9AM on 07/28/2026.

A handful of new wildfire starts across Montana are contributing to smoky skies over much of the state. An Air Quality Alert continues for several counties in the state through early Tuesday morning.

Conditions can change quickly as weather could stimulate active fires and the likelihood of new starts increases. Please keep track of concentrations at todaysair.mtdeq.us or the Fire and Smoke Map.

07/24/2026

🌡EXTREMELY HOT WEEKEND FORECAST!

Excessive Heat Warnings are in effect today, through Sunday evening. Expect highs near 99°F today, around 104°F Saturday, and upper 90s on Sunday.

Red Flag & Fire Weather Warnings alert us to strong gusty winds (15–30 mph) and low humidity. These conditions fuel wildfire risk.

Due to the weekend and extended weather outlooks, open burning is CLOSED IN CASCADE COUNTY. Likely, it will remain closed for an extended period of time. We appreciate your understanding in our commitment to keep Cascade County safe!

Please avoid outdoor burning, keep sparks and open flames contained (including ci******es).
Also, be extremely cautious with machinery or grills due to fire risk.

✅ Stay Safe:
Keep cool & hydrated:
- Stay indoors or in shaded, air-conditioned places as much as possible. Fans alone aren’t enough in this heat.
- Drink fluids before you feel thirsty. Skip caffeinated/sugary drinks.

Dress smart:
- Lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothes.
- Don’t forget sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat.

Plan your time:
- Schedule outdoor fun early or late in the day.
- Avoid excessive time outside and take frequent breaks in the shade!

Watch out for heat exhaustion/stroke symptoms:
- Heat cramps, sweating, dizziness, nausea and confusion. These are warning signs!
- If you or someone else shows signs of heat stroke (hot skin, confusion, unconsciousness), call 911 IMMEDIATELY.

👥 Look out for others
- Check in on elderly neighbors, young children, and people with chronic conditions.
- Never leave kids OR pets in hot cars.

Share this post to get the word out!
Plan events earlier or later in the day.
Stay alert! check https://www.weather.gov/tfx for real-time alerts.

Wishing you a safe and cool weekend, Great Falls 💧

07/16/2026

🔺 Be advised, Great Falls! 🔺

“Calumet Montana and Montana Renewables will conduct a plant-wide emergency response drill on Thursday, July 16, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. as part of our ongoing commitment to safety, emergency preparedness, and community protection.
During the exercise, the plant's emergency notification system will be activated. As a result, audible alarms may be heard by individuals and businesses in the surrounding area.
Please be advised that this is a planned safety drill and not an actual emergency. No action is required from community members.
In the event of a real emergency requiring community response or protective actions, information and instructions would be communicated directly by local emergency officials through established notification channels as part of a unified command response.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we conduct this important training exercise to help ensure the safety of our employees, neighbors, and community.”

07/15/2026

July 15, 8:56am: Burning is PERMITTED in Cascade County. 🔥🔥
Remember, Montana weather can go from mild to risky, in just a few hours.

Before you light:
▶️Get a burn permit from Cascade County’s DES office—it’s required for any open burning of vegetative debris.
https://app.egovmt.com/burnpermit/
▶️Burn only allowed materials: clean, untreated vegetative debris like cut branches and grass. No treated wood, garbage, plastics, tires, animal remains, or household waste.
▶️Stay ready: keep water, tools, and people on-site to control the burn until it's completely out. Remember: EXTINGUISH your fires completely, monitoring the site well after the fire is out- fires can reignite weeks later!
▶️Monitor burn advisories: the county may ban burning if wildfire risk spikes or weather patterns change or escalate!!

For current forecasts and weather activity, visit NWS: https://www.weather.gov/tfx