As fire season heats up across Montana, officials say people living in areas prone to wildfires should be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice.

The Tub Gulch Fire is burning within Libby’s ‘asbestos forest’ near the defunct vermiculite mine. Forest Service crews began emergency fire prevention work this week in the area around Butte’s largest municipal water supply.The Flathead County Commission enacted an emergency declaration Tuesday.

Bone dry conditions, powerful winds and multiple new wildfire starts kept ground and air firefighting resources busy in recent days. Evacuation orders are in effect northwest of Polson due to the Nirada Fire.

Fire officials announced Wednesday that Stage 1 fire restrictions will be implemented across most of northwest Montana this weekend. The move comes in advance of anticipated above-normal temperatures and deepening drought conditions.

Evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect due to the Colt Fire, burning northwest of Seeley Lake. Residents near the intersection of Beaver Creek Road and Highway 83 have been ordered to evacuate. A lightning-caused fire is burning roughly 120 acres five miles east of Arlee.

An evacuation order is in effect due to the Colt Fire, burning 15 miles northwest of Seeley Lake. Evacuations are ordered along Highway 83 between mile-marker 27 and mile-marker 31, Rainy Lake to Summit Lake. An evacuation warning is in effect between mile-marker 25.5 and mile-marker 27.

MT’s fire season got off to a slow start this year due to persistent rainfall. But fire officials told Gov. Gianforte that a drying and warming trend will change that.

Wildfire activity across the country is below normal this year. As the summer fire season starts to ramp up, experts ask the public to help prevent unnecessary fires.

Gov. Greg Gianforte Tuesday convened federal, state, tribal and local fire officials for a preview of the state’s wildfire readiness. Forecasters say Montana could see normal fire activity this summer.

Firefighters are taking advantage of Montana’s unusually warm weather to ignite some controlled burns to reduce forest fuels. The goal is to prevent or minimize the impact of more destructive fires later in the summer.