By Jason Stuart
Ranger-Review Staff Writer
In response to the worsening drought conditions and increasing fire hazard, the Dawson County Commissioners on Tuesday issued a proclamation declaring Stage 1 fire restrictions across Dawson County.
The commissioners made the decision on the advice of county Fire Warden Richie Crisafulli, coming on the heels of two major wildland grass fires in the county this past weekend.
The two primary components of Stage 1 fire restrictions are:
• Campfires and other fires are prohibited except in approved recreation sites, as designated on the fire prevention order. Liquid petroleum and LPG stoves that can be turned on and off are allowed; and
• Smoking is prohibited outside of vehicles, buildings, and developed recreation sites, unless you are in a 3-foot-diameter area cleared of all burnable vegetation.
As of Monday, Crisafulli was seriously considering pressing for Stage 2 fire restrictions. That stage is far more restrictive, as it prohibits any vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine from operating off of improved roads or trails from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., as well as prohibiting any open flame, like welding torches.
However, Crisafulli said after reflection and discussion with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and another county which has implemented Stage 2 restrictions he came to the conclusion that it would be more trouble than it would be worth.
“(Monday night) I spent some time on the phone with Musselshell County and the DNRC and I came to the conclusion that we are better off going to Stage 1, due to the fact that we would only be doing bits and pieces of Stage 2,” Crisafulli said.
Besides concerns about severely curtailing the ability of already-stressed agricultural producers to work in their fields and pastures, Crisafulli said neither the Dawson County Rural Fire Department nor the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office has the manpower to try to monitor and enforce Stage 2 fire restrictions across Dawson County’s 2,383 square miles, noting that “it’s going to overwhelm myself and law enforcement to try to manage that.”
Crisafulli also noted that the Bureau of Land Management has no intention of closing the Short Pines OHV area to use, though the BLM has committed to enforcing the Stage 1 restrictions on their properties.
Crisafulli further noted that with Tuesday’s decision, 10 out of the 11 counties in DNRC Region 7 have gone into Stage 1 fire restrictions, with the only holdout so far being McCone County. He added the fire chiefs and other stakeholders in the area are meeting weekly via conference call to discuss the number of fires across the region each week and their causes so they can make the best fire hazard management decisions possible.
Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.