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2008 DNRC Fire Statistics
(Updated July 21, 2009)

All Fires in Montana with 6 year averages
DNRC Summary Stats
DNRC Multi-jurisdiction Fires
IA Summary
Fires by Cause
# Large Fires in MT
DNRC Summary by Land Office
County Assist & Cost Share Fires

10-year History Stats 1999 - 2008
Graph - # of Fires
Graph - Human Caused
Graph - Acres
# Incidents - 10 years
Summary Fire History

All fires from all Agencies in Montana
Comparison of 6 Year Averages with 2008 Statistics
Fires Past 6 years
2003
2,326
2004
1,447
2005
1,316
2006
2,302
2007
1,875
2008
1,424
Average = 1,781
Derby Fire 2006
Acres Past 6 years
2003
736,809
2004
18,445
2005
103,294
2006
1,047,118
2007
778,079
2008
166,842
Average = 475,094
 
Dunn Mountain Fire 2008
  
Reference = NRCC Fire Information; Historical Fires/Acres by State

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Compare Large Fires in Montana with Large Fires in DNRC Protection
In Montana
2003
91
2004
15
2005
31
2006
70
2007
57
2008
29

Lightning Strike
In DNRC Protection
2003
40
2004
9
2005
13
2006
44
2007
39
2008
16
Dunn Mountain Fire 2008

Large fires are those in excess of 200 acres

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DNRC 2008 Summary Statistics
97 False Alarms Gash Creek Fire 2006

Dunn Mountain Fire 2008
75 Mutual Aid Fires

Direct Protection
313 fires
784 acres
98% @ <10 acres

County Coop
27 fires
138,133 acres

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DNRC 2008 Statistics by Land Office
Ignition Can
Land Office # Fires Acres
CES 46 1,445
NWS 132 170
SWS 142 585
EAS 7 13,057
NES 5 17,189
SOS 8 106,472
totals 340 138,918

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DNRC 2008 Statistics

Fires that burned on Multiple Jurisdictions
Number of Cost Share Fires
 Acres
8
 100,172.4
Acres are DNRC Protection only
  
Moon Over Passage
Hay bails on fire - Dunn Mountain 2008

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2008 Direct Protection Initial Attack Summary
False alarms responses not included
Fire Size Class   # Fires Total Acres
0.01 acres to 0.25 acres A 243 17.8
0.26 acres to 9.90 acres B 62 137.0
10.00 acres to 99.90 acres C 6 132.6
100.00 acres to 299.90 acres D 1 107.0
300.00 acres to 999.90 acres E 1 390.0
1000.00 acres to 4999.90 acres F 0 0.0
5000.00 acres and larger G 0 0.0
Total   313 784.4
98% of Direct protection fires were suppressed @ 10 acres or less
DNRC GOAL is 95% of fires suppressed @ 10 acres or less

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2008 County Coop Summary
Fire Size Class   # Fires Total Acres
0.01 acres to 0.25 acres A 1 0.1
0.26 acres to 9.90 acres B 2 13.8
10.00 acres to 99.90 acres C 7 326.6
100.00 acres to 299.90 acres D 3 495.0
300.00 acres to 999.90 acres E 5 3,426.4
1000.00 acres to 4999.90 acres F 4 8,939.0
5000.00 acres and larger G 5 124,932.5
Total   27 138,133.4

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2008 Summary of Direct Protection and County Protection Fires & False Alarms
Cause # Fires Total Acres
Lightning 92 117,349.7
Arson 5 390.8
Campfire 61 17.5
Debris Burning 77 13,970.2
Equipment 15 5,018.3
Miscellaneous 60 1,961.7
Powerline 6 117.8
Railroad 9 17
Smoking 7 40.7
False Alarms 97 0
TOTAL 340 138,917.3
27% Lightning caused fires (excluding false alarms)
73% Human caused fires (excluding false alarms)

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Number of Fires on State Protected Land

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Acres Burned on State Protected Land

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Human Caused Fires Pie Chart

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Fire History 1999- 2008
# Fires over 10 year period 4,118
Average number of fires per year 412
Total Acres 1,265,738
Percentage of Fires by Jurisdiction
Direct Protection 89%
County Assists 11%
Human Caused 52%

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Direct & County Fire Incidents
1999- 2008
Number of Fires Number of Acres
Total 4,118 1,265,738
Average 412 126,573
By Year
1999 467 87,356.3
2000 541 167,583.8
2001 334 16,757.9
2002 322 28,393.4
2003 567 168,115.1
2004 331 10,711.5
2005 240 16,062.4
2006 474 468,164.5
2007 504 160,024
2008 340 138,918

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Montana DNRC

Contact

  • Dept. of Natural Resources & Conservation
  • 1625 Eleventh Ave.
  • Helena, MT 59601
  • Phone: (406) 444-2074
  • Fax: (406) 444-2684
  • dnrc.mt.gov