Flathead County wildfire prevention and homeowner guidance

How it works

Flathead County’s Fire Service Area page gives homeowners free wildfire-prevention guidance focused on the Home Ignition Zone. The page explains that the Home Ignition Zone includes the home itself and the area around it, and that reducing flammable material in this area gives the home a better chance of surviving a wildfire.

What the guidance covers

The page organizes advice into zones:

• Zone 1: the home and the first 5 feet around it.
• Zone 2: 5 to 100 feet from the home.
• Zone 3: beyond 100 feet.

The county also highlights making an address easy to find for emergency responders by posting the address at the end of the driveway and on the home, using reflective numbers visible in low light, and keeping signs clear of snow, brush, and parked vehicles.

Home wildfire checklist

The page’s checklist recommends:

• cleaning leaves, needles, and debris from roofs and gutters;
• removing flammable items from decks, porches, and under stairs;
• keeping the first 3 to 5 feet around the foundation as fire-resistant as possible;
• using noncombustible materials near the home when practical;
• limbing trees near structures and along driveways;
• removing dead limbs, dry grasses, and accumulated vegetation;
• storing firewood away from structures;
• keeping propane tanks clear of vegetation and away from combustible materials.

Printable guides and additional resources

The county links to a downloadable wildfire-season checklist and a printable homeowner guide with additional Home Ignition Zone information. It also points homeowners to outside resources including Firewise USA, Ready, Set, Go!, a Wildfire Adaptation Resource Hub, and IBHS Disaster Safety wildfire guidance.

Timing and deadlines

The page does not list any application process, deadline, or expiration date.

Notes

The page says most Home Ignition Zone projects are inexpensive and many can be completed by homeowners over time, but it does not offer funding, reimbursement, or a matching program.