Gianforte declares wildfire state of emergency

Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (2) – 7/16/21

Gov. Greg Gianforte issued an executive order declaring a statewide wildland fire emergency in Montana on July 14. As of July 14, nearly 1,400 wildland fires have burned over 141,000 acres in Montana. Of these fires approximately 78 percent have been human caused, adding a significant workload to volunteer and agency wildland firefighters. The executive order will help procure additional resources for wildland firefighters, such as the Montana National Guard, and also authorizes the activation of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact so Montana can share resources with other states during times of emergency or disaster.

 “Montana faces critical fire conditions that pose significant threats to our communities, infrastructure, first responders, and way of life,” Gianforte said in a news release. “As our firefighters battle active fires across the state with more to come, this executive order helps ensure they have the suppression resources, supplies, and fuel they need to safely and aggressively respond.”