406 Forum

The West had an unusually dry winter, and wildfire season is around the corner. What steps do you take to prevent forest fires when you’re in the backcountry?

Kelly Piccardo, Big Sky, Mont.
Buyer, Grizzly Outfitters Ski and Backcountry Sports

“I always put out my campfires and I clear around the fire pit to make sure nothing around it can catch.”

Ethel Fogelsong, Bozeman, Mont.
Plein-air painter

“I live in the [backcountry]. We make sure we have a fire list – it’s a list of everything in our house that we need to get out, so in case of a fire you don’t have to rack your brain. We were on evacuation warning for the Fridley Fire in Paradise Valley [in 2001].”

David Bird, Big Sky, Mont.
Manager, The Cave Spirits and Gifts

“I don’t know that I’ll take any special precautions this year as opposed to any other year. I’m always aware of the possibility of a fire starting in any condition … I make sure my campfire doesn’t get too big; I don’t smoke [cigarettes]; I try not to park in tall grass because, believe it or not, your catalytic converter can start a fire.”