Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (2) – 8/4/21
Gov. Greg Gianforte this week launched a new statewide fire dashboard that keeps track of each fire currently burning in Montana and provides detailed information on each. The dashboard also keeps a tally of cumulative fire data, such as number of fires and acres burned this year. As of Aug. 4, the dashboard reports that there are currently 72 active fires in the state, with two starts in the last 24 hours. There have been 1,809 fires in Montana this year, with more than 499,837 acres burned to date in 2021.
“Across Montana, our heroic firefighters are confronting more than eighty fires that threaten our communities, infrastructure, first responders, and way of life,” Gianforte said in a press release. “Ensuring Montanans receive accurate and timely information regarding these fires is more important than ever. I’m urging all Montanans to do their part to reduce wildfire risk by following local fire restrictions, preparing their homes and communities for wildfire, and recreating and working safely while outdoors.”