With wildfires burning across Montana and the memory of devastating urban fires in Spokane fresh in the minds of emergency managers, state officials and forestry professionals gathered in Alberton this week to drive home a message for homeowners: the time to prepare is before the fire starts, not during it.
The guidance was specific and practical. Clean out gutters. Install mesh screens over attic vents to prevent embers from entering the home. Avoid planting junipers close to the foundation — the ornamental shrub is common in Montana yards and highly flammable. The recommendations come from professionals who work directly with homeowners on what's known as home hardening, a set of structural and landscaping modifications designed to give a house a better chance of surviving a wildfire even without direct firefighter protection.
Among those at the Alberton event was AnnaMarie White of White Horse Forestry, who spoke with Gov. Greg Gianforte and First Lady Susan Gianforte about the mitigation work her business does with property owners across the state. Sen. Denley Loge was also present. White's work focuses on the defensible space and structural improvements that can make the difference between a home that survives and one that doesn't.
For Helena-area homeowners, the message is directly relevant. Helena sits in a valley surrounded by national forest land, and several Helena-area neighborhoods — particularly those on the south and east benches and in the foothills near the Continental Divide — are in or near high fire-risk zones. The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest has active fire management programs, but officials stress that individual homeowner preparation remains one of the most effective tools available.