Governor Gianforte Receives 2026 Fire Season Briefing

Governor's Office

HELENA, Mont. - Governor Greg Gianforte today joined local, state, and federal agency administrators, and fire management officers for the 2026 Fire Season Briefing.

"As we look ahead to the season, our goal is straightforward: be prepared, work together and protect Montana families, homes, communities, natural resources, and our way of life," Gov. Gianforte said. "It takes all-hands-on-deck, from county officials and volunteer fire departments to state and federal agencies and private landowners to prepare our forests and communities and initiate an aggressive initial attack on all wildfire starts."

Gov. Gianforte, DNRC Director Kaster, and DNRC Acting State Forester Wyatt Frampton, from left to right, speaking during the 2026 Fire Briefing and Outlook

During a press conference at the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) Aviation Hangar in Helena, the governor thanked Montana's wildland firefighters, first responders, dispatchers, and county cooperators before underscoring the importance of active forest management and the state's Shared Stewardship Agreement with the Forest Service.

In June 2025, Gov. Gianforte and Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz formalized a first-of-its-kind, 20-year Shared Stewardship Agreement between the State of Montana and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service to dramatically increase the pace and scale of forest management and reduce wildfire risk. Under the agreement, the DNRC announced the selection of two priority landscapes for forest management project implementation under the agreement covering over 400,000 acres across the Flathead, Kootenai, and Bitterroot National Forests.

Following the governor's comments, agencies provided updates on fire season preparedness and state and federal resource readiness before receiving a weather outlook.

During the briefing, fire management professionals expressed that while the weekend storm system helped short-term conditions, the lack of similar weather to come trends toward fire potential returning. The meteorologist indicated anticipation for significant wildfire potential in eastern and southwest Montana in July, expanding to the Bitterroot in August. Through summer and into the fall, officials anticipate hot weather this summer with a very active fire season expected across Montana due to weak winter snowpack, periods of significant wind, and a dry and warm spring.

Speaking to state preparedness, DNRC Director Amanda Kaster spoke to the agency's success with active forest management practices before introducing several state, federal, and local officials to provide updates.

"Thanks to the investments made by the Montana Legislature, DNRC is more prepared than ever, using advanced technology to detect fires earlier, securing additional equipment to fight fires faster, and reducing fuel loads through cross-boundary, landscape-scale forest management," DNRC Director Kaster said. "The State of Montana and DNRC are prepared for the 2026 fire season, not only through our Fire Protection Program, but through the work we do to reduce wildfire risk across Montana's landscapes."

In 2025, DNRC kept 94% of fires in its direct protection to 10 acres or fewer.

Working with the legislature, Gov. Gianforte has been proud to advance historic legislation to improve forest health and protect communities from wildfire. Signing House Bill 883 into law in 2023, DNRC was allocated $60 million over the biennium to significantly increase the pace and scale of management practices that improve forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and increase wildfire preparedness. House Bill 127 was signed into law in April 2025 to continue these important investments.

The current forest health crisis in Montana has created a significant risk for catastrophic wildfire. The governor urged Montanans to do their part to prevent wildfire.

"What we heard this morning should give Montanans confidence: our local, state, and federal partners are prepared for whatever this season may bring our way," the governor added. "We can't do this work alone. Wildfire preparedness is a shared responsibility, and every Montanan has a role to play. That starts with preventing avoidable fires."

Fire prevention tips include:

• Staying current on weather conditions and fire restrictions in your area.
• Always using an established ring fire and never leaving campfires unattended.
• Ensuring trailer chains are properly secured and not dragging on the pavement.
• Properly maintaining and cleaning farm and lawn equipment.
• Avoiding driving or parking your vehicle, including all-terrain and utility vehicles, on dry grass.
• Using caution when burning debris and never burning piles when it's hot, windy, or when fire restrictions are in place.

For current fire information and additional tips on preventing human-caused wildfire, visit https://www.mtfireinfo.org/.

The governor's 2026 Fire Season Briefing may be viewed here . The weather outlook presentation may be viewed here .

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