Carbon county montana is a mix of forest, ranchland and growing communities

The Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management awarded a $150,000 Cooperative Agreement to the Red Lodge Fire Department under the BLM Fuels Management and Community Fire Assistance Program (CFDA 15.228). This 5-year agreement, running from August 2023 to August 2028, will fund the Red Lodge Fire Department's fuel mitigation crew to conduct forest thinning, create defensible space around homes and properties, and dispose of slash piles in Carbon County, Montana. The funding will be used primarily for crew costs and operating expenses, and will be matched by private landowners where possible. Larger mitigation projects impacting more landowners and infrastructure will be prioritized. The crew will also conduct hazard risk assessments and provide public education on wildfire risk reduction.

The south end of the county is framed by the beartooth mountains. Much of the forest at the base of the mountains is dominated by overgrown, 100 year old lodge pole pine stands. The wildland urban interface has been expanding along the beartooth mountains, where people continue to build in these areas. This funding will be utilized primarily for red lodge fuel mitigation crew costs and operating expenses. Red lodge fire rescue has been conducting fuel mitigation projects in the county for almost two decades. Grant funding will be used for mitigation work will be matched by private landowners when able. The activities that will be performed will be creating defensible space around private home and properties within the county. Larger projects, impacting more landowners and infrastructure will be prioritized. This will be accomplished by working with our federal, state and private partners to focus work to create more continuity in fuel mitigated areas. Useable firewood will be utilized and slash piles will be burned when conditions allow. Some of the funding will be used for education and project development management. The red lodge fuel mitigation crew will also be performing hazard risk assessments to better educate the public about wildfire risk. Public and firefighter risk reduction will continue to be a primary focus.