HELENA — As Autumn sets in with cooler temperatures and mountain snow, fire season is coming to an end.

According to the Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation, the total area in the state burned by wildfires this year is far below normal at just over 76,000 acres. This is the fourth-lowest total in the last 15 years.

But the number of fires is slightly above normal, currently sitting at around 2,200, the sixth-highest in the past 15 years, indicating that most fires were not allowed to grow out of control.

Quick fire response times and a cooler and wetter than normal summer allowed for significantly less days of smoke-filled skies than in previous years.

The largest fire in the state was just west of Helena in Powell County. Burning in the higher terrain of the Hoodoo

See Full Page