Fire Season

Montana’s dry winter and low snowpack could set the stage for a historic 2026 wildfire season. Learn how to stay safe.

Montana’s wildfire season is here, and carelessness is already fueling danger. Abandoned campfires were discovered near Hyalite and Fairy Lake, prompting urgent reminders to fully extinguish fires before leaving.

With the dry weather this year, take some time to read this guide on preparing for the worst case scenario this fire season.

Montana's lack of snowfall and our dangerously low snowpack levels are becoming the stuff of fire season nightmares. As the winter weeks go by, our 'percentages of normal' keep ticking lower - and that's not good news for this summer.

Over 60% of the wildfires in Montana are human-caused. We can do better. Here are some things that you can do to help prevent wildfires in Montana.

Do you remember how bad the fire season was that year?

Snowpack levels are certainly not at ideal levels throughout southwest Montana at the end of March. A month that often sees big, wet dumps of snow just didn't materialize in 2022.

Here's an update on the Shedhorn Fire located between Big Sky and West Yellowstone.

Here is an updated list of wildfires currently burning across Montana.