LOCAL NEWS IN BRIEF

AFTER RAINY LEADUP, AREA EXPECTED TO SEE AN ‘AVERAGE’ WILDFIRE SEASON THIS YEAR

EBS STAFF

Southwest Montana is expected to see an “average” fire season this year following steady rain through the spring and early summer, officials said during a June 28 media briefing.

Patrick Lonergan, chief of Gallatin County Emergency Management, said that wildfire seasons are tough things to predict, and Brian Nickolay, fire chief of the Hyalite Rural Fire District, noted that heavy rain can give false hope for a low fire season. Regardless, Lonergan noted the slightly above average precipitation is positive, and now it depends on late summer weather with things such as lightning, wind and precipitation.