Weird Fire Season

BILLINGS - Fire rages out of control across the state of California but Montana's fire danger has been unusually low. In Montana, the word "fire" is synonymous with summer. But this year firefighters have done more planning than putting out because the potential isn't there. "We've had some incidents but they've been easily managed," said Billings Fire Chief Bill Rash. The fire chief believes its all due to weather. "Because of these strategic rains that came with all the lightning strikes we've been experiencing when they hit the moisture comes right at the same time or right after," said Rash. Fire experts say the longer into the season we go the less likely Montanans we'll experience a big fire event in 2009. "With the higher relative humidity lower temps at night it is going to allow fires that might occur to basically lay down more at night," said Rash. However, fire officials agree we're not out of the woods yet. "People need to not get complacent just because we haven't seen the big fires yet the potential is always there," said B.I.A. fire official Jon Kohn.