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Residents, councilors push Whitefish to act on wildfire preparedness now, not wait for CWPP
Summary
Public comment and council discussion urged immediate municipal actions — code changes, vegetation management and condemnation authority — to reduce wildfire risk rather than waiting for a community wildfire protection plan (CWPP).
Public commenter Richard Hilton urged the City Council to move quickly on wildfire preparedness at the July 21 meeting, pressing officials to act now rather than wait for a community wildfire protection plan. “We cannot wait to begin taking steps to prepare our community for fire,” Hilton said, warning the town has some of the highest wildfire risk in Montana and recounting recent lightning and wind-driven ignitions.
Hilton suggested revisions to local building and landscaping codes, bans on junipers near structures, enforcement of vacant-lot mowing (noting many lots contain noxious weeds), and condemnation of hazardous structures. He told the council that delays “could be construed as a dereliction of duty” and that residents will hold officials accountable.
Council members responded by acknowledging recent near-misses and supporting investment in fire preparedness. Several councilors and the fire chief referenced the July 13 structure fire and afternoon high winds that required mutual aid ladder trucks from neighboring departments, underscoring the town’s current operational limits.
Fire Chief Cole briefed the council on longer-term apparatus needs (discussed separately in the meeting), and councilors reiterated interest in both near-term regulatory steps and the longer process of a CWPP and comprehensive capital planning.
No ordinance or code changes were adopted at the July 21 meeting; speakers urged staff and council to accelerate actions that can be taken immediately and to pursue the CWPP as a parallel effort.
