Era of Megafires

The Northern Rockies Fire Science Network partnered with the Blackfoot Challenge, FireSafe Montana, Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest, The Nature Conservancy, and Southwestern Crown Collaborative to bring the Era of Megafires to Montana.

The Era of Megaﬁres is a 70-minute, multi-media presentation hosted by Dr. Paul Hessburg, who has conducted ﬁre and landscape ecology research for more than 27 years. The presented material comes in the form of fast-moving, short, topic-based talks interspersed with compelling video vignettes and features the work of wildﬁre photographer, John Marshall. Think Ted X mixed with snappy documentary shorts and compelling photography. The videos are produced by award-winning documentary ﬁlm company, North 40 Productions, of Wenatchee, WA.

The presentation is designed to educate audiences across the West so that they may better participate in the conversation and solutions surrounding the Megaﬁre issue.

This event included informational booths, a BBQ hosted by the Lincoln Community Council, Q & A with Hessburg and local experts, as well as a panel discussion.

The panel discussion included:

Sheriff Leo Dutton, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office
Jarel Kurtz, Lincoln District Fire Management Officer
Chief Zack Muse, Lincoln Rural Fire Department
Signe Leirfallom, Blackfoot Challenge, Forestry Coordinator
Susan Good Giese, Chairperson, Lewis and Clark County Commissioner
Bill Cyr, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
Bill Frisbee, Lincoln Community Council (moderator)

This presentation was also in Missoula April 24, Kalispell April 25, and Seeley Lake April 27.

This event is part of a series:

The Era of Megaﬁres was a 70-minute, multi-media presentation hosted by Dr. Paul Hessburg, who has conducted ﬁre and landscape ecology research for more than 27 years. The presented material came in the form of fast-moving, short, topic-based talks interspersed with compelling video vignettes and featured the work of wildﬁre photographer, John Marshall. The videos were produced by award-winning documentary ﬁlm company, North 40 Productions, of Wenatchee, WA.

The presentation was designed to educate audiences across the West so that they may better participate in the conversation and solutions surrounding the Megaﬁre issue.

Several partners including Idaho Firewise, USFS, FireSafe MT, USFS, MT DNRC, the Northern Rockies Fire Science Network, and many local groups worked together to bring the Era of Megafires to Idaho and Montana.

Montana presentations were held in Missoula (April 24), Kalispell (April 25), Lincoln (April 26), Seeley Lake (April 27) and Helena (Sept. 12). A follow-up discussion of local, fire-related issues was held after the Helena presentation on October 3rd. This event was meant to encourage ongoing discussion of local issues related to the Helena Era of Megafires presentation and included educational and eye-opening discussions by professionals who have studied the local fire hazards and are involved in the solutions.

Idaho presentations were held in Coeur d'Alene (May 1), Sandpoint (May 2), Moscow (May 3), McCall (May 15), Boise (May 16), Twin Falls (May 17), and Pocatello (May 18). An additional presentation was held at the Sacajawea Center in Salmon, Idaho, on October 11, 2017. Sponsors for this event included U.S. Forest Service Intermountain Region, Salmon-Challis National Forest and the Northern Rockies Fire Science Network.

If you couldn't make it to one of these events, check out this short TedX talk that Dr. Hessburg gave in April.