Fireworks ban for Lincoln County in effect at midnight

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution Tuesday morning banning the ignition of any open fire within the unincorporated areas of the county. The restrictions also prohibit the ignition of all fireworks in the county outside of the incorporated limits of cities within the county. The resolution, No. 938, goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 1, 2015.

Stage 1 fire restrictions prohibit fires except within developed recreation sites where specific posted exemptions exist. Smoking is also prohibited except in areas from which any flammable material has been removed.

The restrictions come in the wake of discussions between fire managers and fire agencies around the region about the unusually high-risk fire conditions around the region. Unseasonably high temperatures have combined with lower-than-normal snowpack and streamflow volumes to create unprecedented fire conditions in the area, said Lincoln County Commissioner Mark Peck.

The exemptions, however, do not absolve individual responsibility for fire ignitions. The commissioners’ resolution specifically addresses the consequences for failing to comply.

“Be it further resolved that, as provided by MCA 7-33-2205, 7-33-2206 and 7-33-2212, any person who ignites any open fire (including fireworks) not within the established Stage 1 Restriction Procedures, is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be required to reimburse a fire protection agency for costs incurred for any fire suppression activities resulting from the illegal fire as provided in MCA 50-63-103,” the resolution reads.

The United States Forest Service has issued Stage 1 fire restrictions for Flathead, Lake and Sanders counties, in addition to Lincoln County.