On Tuesday, April 25, the community is invited to a public event and conversation at Flathead Valley Community College called an “Era of Megafires.” The presentation will be given in the Arts and Technology Building, room 139, beginning at 6 p.m.

This 70-minute, multi-media traveling presentation by Dr. Paul Hessburg is meant to aid the community in understanding the issues surrounding megafires, according to an event press release, so “collectively we can move toward solutions that can change the way we receive wildfire and related smoke.”

Hessburg has conducted fire and landscape ecology research for more than 27 years.

The “Era of Megafires” presentation will be followed by a Q-and-A session around topics that are relevant to the community in order to identify local challenges and local actions. Typically, different communities face different obstacles when it comes to wildfire preparedness and resilience.

The intent of this presentation is to reduce the amount of loss local communities are experiencing by developing a collective understanding of fire, approaches to wildfire management, and how landowners can engage. Wildfire plays an important and integral role in forested ecosystems. Local fire history records show that forests have evolved with fire for thousands of years. Agencies have successfully suppressed 98 percent of wildfires in the greater Flathead Area since approximately 1930, and the resulting accumulation of fuel creates an environment conducive to large fire growth.

According to the event press release, “it’s important for our community to understand wildfire and promote a proactive approach to mitigating impacts to our communities; private property, airshed, watersheds and forest ecosystems.”

The “Era of Megafires” is being presented by the Flathead Area FireSafe Council, Northern Rockies Fire Science Network, Southwestern Crown Collaborative, Montana DNRC/Kalispell Unit, Flathead National Forest, Flathead Valley Community College and FireSafe Montana.

For more information, contact Mike West, Flathead National Forest at 406-758-3539, or Ali Ulwelling, Montana DNRC, at 406-751-2270.