Firefighters from the Crow Nation in south-central Montana responded to a handful of wildfires sparked over the holiday weekend.
The Pinecone Fire, the largest Fourth of July weekend fire in Big Horn County, burned over 32 acres of grass, brush and timber in Montana’s Sarpy Mountains. It was monitored from a helicopter and two fire engines by Crow Agency’s Bureau of Indian Affairs Fire and Aviation crew. It has since been contained.
Jon Kohn, the agency’s information officer, says the past three years have seen more rain, which causes long grass to grow and could be dangerous this summer.
“The grass is really thick. There’s going to be a lot to burn when it dries out here soon," Kohn says. "Grass fires are more dangerous than forest fires. More people get burned on grass fires than forest fires. The flames move so fast.”
The Crow Agency BIA responded to seven firework incidents over July 4 and 5 in Pryor and Crow Agency, as well as a trash fire in Lodge Grass.
The Billings Interagency Dispatch Center has reported eleven wildfires since July 3.
Kaitlyn Nicholas is Yellowstone Public Radio’s Report for America tribal affairs reporter.
