Meagher County Emergency Services Braces for Festival Amid Fire Alerts

The Meagher County Sheriff’s Office has a busy weekend ahead of them. With the town’s population nearly growing tenfold with music festival attendees, the emergency services of White Sulphur Springs remain well-occupied. Preceding the start of the festival, however, the local Sheriff’s Office has notified the county of several warnings concerning weather. On Tuesday, the Meagher County Sheriff’s Office notified the county that there is a Fire Weather Watch until 11:00 PM on Thursday, July 25. The Fire Weather Watch was issued by the National Weather Service in Billings and affects a large portion of South Central Montana. The warnings noted that strong wind gusts, high temperatures, and isolated thunderstorms are all anticipated. The National Weather Service of Great Falls also issued a similar warning with the Fire Weather Watch extending to 12:00 AM Friday. The fire watch also mentioned that the impacts of the upcoming gusts and adverse weather may exacerbate any existing or new fires. Thus, outdoor burning is not recommended. A Red Flag Warning was also issued by the National Weather Service of Great Falls until 9:00 PM on Wednesday, July 24. The warning observed low relative humidity, high temperatures, and strong wind gusts, adding to caution surrounding fire danger. As of July 23, there are over 50 wildfires active in Montana. Yesterday, July 23, there was a fire caused by lightning in the Whitetail Ridge Area, near the National Forest. The fire, however, was on two private landowner properties. The Meagher County Volunteer Fire Department responded yesterday evening and the fire continued into today, July 24, and is now under control. There is an aircraft flying to search for any other flames caused by lightning strikes near the area, as well as in the Park Hills. Although no Public Safety Power Shutoffs are planned at this time, NorthWestern Energy, a prominent power company, issued a statement yesterday in light of the recent fires. The team constantly evaluates weather forecasts and environmental conditions to assess wildfire threats, reviewing multiple models weekly. They employ various operational defenses to mitigate wildfire risks, including adjusting powerline equipment to prioritize ignition prevention over outage prevention. During wildfire prevention mode, the system is more prone to outages, and these outages may last longer to ensure powerlines are safe to re-energize. The company stated clearly that Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) are a last-resort defense employed in severe conditions, primarily affecting customers in forested or grassland areas prone to wildfires. The Meagher County Sheriff’s Office and emergency services are gearing up for a busy weekend with the anticipated influx of festival attendees. Multiple weather warnings, including a Fire Weather Watch and a Red Flag Warning, have been issued, urging caution due to strong winds, high temperatures, and potential thunderstorms. The community is advised to follow these warnings closely to mitigate any fire risks during this period of increased activity.