09/04/2026
🔥FIRE INFO FROM DES🔥
FIRE RESTRICTION UPDATE | FERGUS & PETROLEUM COUNTIES ⚠️🔥
If you’re traveling through central Montana, you may notice our Stage 1 Fire Restriction sign posted at US Highway 87 and MT Highway 244 (the Winnett turn-off). This sign will be in place for the next 10 days or so to remind those coming to our area for hunting that fires are not allowed in Fergus or Petroleum County currently.
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions remain in effect across both Fergus County and Petroleum County.
🌧️ "Wait... isn't rain in the forecast?"
We’ve had several folks ask why restrictions remain active when there is moisture on the radar. Here is the reality of our central Montana rangelands and what the 10-day outlook actually tells us:
Brief Moisture, Fast Rebound:
While our 10-day forecast brings a window of showers Sunday night into Monday, it passes quickly. By mid-week, daytime temperatures rebound back into the mid-to-upper 70s, relative humidity plunges back down into the 20s, and breezy westerly winds return (10–17+ mph).
Prairie Fuels Dry in Hours:
Unlike deep mountain timber, prairie grasses and grain stubble are "one-hour fine fuels." A passing shower may dampen the surface, but a couple of hours of afternoon sun and Montana wind dries them right back out to tinderbox conditions.
Fire Season Does Not End on Labor Day:
Over the past 50 years, 30% to 40% of all large wildland fires in Fergus County have occurred after Labor Day. Historic incidents like the South Moccasin Fire (October) and the West Wind Fire (December) are sobering reminders of how fast a prairie fire can spread late in the season once fuels are cured.
📋 What Stage 1 Restrictions Mean for You:
🚫 NO Campfires or Charcoal Fires on public or private land, unless within a designated, established metal/concrete fire ring at Crystal Lake Campground or James Kipp Campground. (Gas and propane stoves with a shut-off valve are permitted.)
🚫 NO Smoking, except inside an enclosed vehicle, building, or within a cleared 3-foot area free of all flammable materials.
🚫 NO Open Burning or use of burn barrels.
With hunting season underway, harvest wrapping up, and heavy highway traffic moving through our counties, one stray spark or dragging trailer chain can ignite a blaze that puts our volunteer fire departments and neighbors at risk.
Stay vigilant, check your tow chains, avoid parking in tall, dry grass, and help us keep central Montana safe.
🔗 For local emergency alerts, updates, and resources, visit readyfergus.org or check MTFireInfo.org. Report any signs of smoke or fire immediately to 911.
