Montana fire officials are reminding the public of fire danger across the state approaching the Fourth of July holiday. The Flathead, Lolo and Bitterroot National Forests are all currently under moderate fire danger.

A wildfire that burned in the Helena Valley is fully contained after it forced several residents to evacuate from their homes Monday afternoon.

Under the “moderate” danger, officials say fires can start from most accidental causes. Fire Prevention Specialist Anna Bateson says recreators should be sure to thoroughly douse any campfires with water and avoid parking campers and trailers on dry grasses.

The Biden administration made good on a promised, but long-delayed pay raise for federal firefighters on Tuesday. The first of those temporary payments should be delivered next month.

Federal and state land managers in Montana are not yet fully staffed with their usual number of seasonal firefighters. During its hiring process, the U.S. Forest Service has faced the same workforce shortage pressures affecting the private sector.

Potential for significant wildland fire is anticipated to be normal this June, according to the latest forecast from the National Interagency Fire Center. However, that could change later this summer, especially in areas east of the Continental Divide.

Under what’s known as Good Neighbor Authority, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation can carry out logging, thinning and other projects on U.S. Forest Service Land.

The report, spanning several years of data, measured ozone and particle pollution, which are the two most common air pollutants.

The growing national risk of wildfires prompted experts this week to ratchet up the alert system for firefighting resources. It’s a subtle acknowledgment that Montana’s regular wildland fire season is just around the corner.

Interior says its five-year investment in wildfire resilience will help bolster communities and ecosystems against the mounting threat of wildfires.