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Montana’s muted 2022 fire season fizzles

Early summer moisture and unstrained resources for aggressive suppression kept Montana’s 2022 fire season mostly quiet, but hotter and drier climate trends that portend increasing wildfire intensity are still in store for the future.

by Keely Larson 10.17.202210.17.2022

Tracking Montana’s 2022 fire season

As precipitation and cold weather in October bring the 2022 fire season to a close, MTFP has shifted this page to archive status, summarizing the available data on how the state fared throughout the summer.

The display below includes the last reported updates provided for the 2022 wildfires that were tracked by the Inciweb incident information system and may exclude fires that aren’t reported through that system. In some cases information for specific fires may be incomplete where agencies haven’t updated Inciweb entries.

More Montana fire coverage

What to know about smoke and health this summer

How do you know if it’s safe to take a hike today? What exactly is PM2.5? Experts answer those and other smoke-season questions to help you breathe easier.

by Keely Larson 07.22.202207.25.2022

How you can avoid causing Montana’s next big wildfire

Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation reports that 75% of wildfires as human-caused. Here’s advice for keeping yourself from becoming part of that statistic.

by Keely Larson 08.17.202208.22.2022

The story of fire retardant

What it is, why it works, and how fire managers decide when to use it.

by Keely Larson 08.10.202208.12.2022

Tracking eastern Montana’s silent firestarters

Underground coal seams can burn unnoticed for years. They can also spark raging wildfires. Funding to extinguish them is limited, but a mapping effort is underway to plot the smoldering coordinates.

by Keely Larson 08.05.202208.05.2022

Where wildfire meets population growth

For the second summer in a row, a wildfire has destroyed homes near the shores of Flathead Lake, offering a stark reminder of the danger fire poses to one of the fastest-growing areas in the state.

by Justin Franz 08.04.202208.04.2022