MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --
The wind gusts from the wild land fires out west have created a smoky haze around Great Falls and Malmstrom Air Force Base.
The hot, dry weather spawned multiple fires in the vicinity, and the Malmstrom fire department is urging Warriors to remain vigilant with their fire prevention and fire safety.
"The wildfire season has been particularily bad this year in Montana," said Senior Master Sgt. Jeffrey Nabozny, 341st Civil Engineer Squadron fire chief. "Malmstrom firefighters have responded to an average of one grass fire each week since summer began."
Many of the large fires in Montana were caused by lightening strikes, but the fire chief said that all the grass fires his flight responded to this summer have been started by high-risk operations or by accident.
"When enjoying the outdoors, pay particular attention to any burn regulations in place where you are camping," Sergeant Nabozny said. "If outdoor burning is allowed, ensure you build a fire pit at least 10 feet from surrounding trees and shrubs, and dowse it with water and cover the fire with bare mineral earth when leaving the camp area."
The fire department provides a wide-variety of fire prevention training programs for on-the-job training. People can also view the state's burn restriction areas on the Web at
http://dnrc.mt.gov/public_interest/currentrestrictions.asp.
"During this extreme forest fire season, when walking or driving you must be aware of your surroundings," said John Gilmore, 341st CES fire prevention assistant fire chief. "Privately owned and government owned vehicles must stay on the gravel or paved roads. Driving on dead vegetation for even one minute, could cause the grasses to catch fire from the muffler or catalytic converter."
According to the Department of Natural Resources 2006 annual report, 47 percent of wild fires in Montana are caused by lighting - that means nearly 300 wild fires last year were man-made, Mr. Gilmore said.
"The number one cause of fires at Malmstrom is from unattended cooking," he said. "Leaving a stove for a moment while cooking can quickly lead to a fire that a home extinguisher cannot extinguish."
Extinguishing a fire is not the most important thing a person can do when faced with an unexpected fire. The first thing a person should do is call 9-1-1 and head for safety. The sooner a firefighter arrives, the less damage the fire will cause.
"You definitely need an evacuation plan. You also need to practice it and use it when encountering a fire," Sergeant Nabozny said. "If you're enjoying the outdoors in Montana and encounter a wild fire, call 9-1-1 and move away from the immediate area. Under some conditions, a wild fire can move faster than you can run, so immediately move upwind of the fire."
For details on fire prevention training and additional safety information, call the Malmstrom fire department at 731-4836 or 731-4100.