2026 Wildfire Season Preview: What Montanans Need to Know

After the winter that wasn’t, we’re all wondering how extreme wildfire season will be this summer. On this episode, Outlaw Beat is joined by a fire behavior analyst who is qualified to give us answers to all our burning questions.Jon Trapp is the Division Chief of Wildland Fire at Big Sky Fire Department and he is fresh off a regional planning meeting for western wildfires, so it’s a great time to find out what he knows so we’re all prepared for what’s in store.Jon talks about the various conditions and weather patterns that are lining up against us, wildfire tendencies you should definitely be aware of, plus the technological advances that are giving firefighters an edge they’ve never had before.And we don’t let Jon leave without having him answer fireman questions poorly written by children.Watch the full interview: ExploreBigSky.com/episodes/fireBrush up on the Wildfire Action Guide here: https://bigskyfire.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2022HE-Big-Sky-Evacuation-Guide-R3-SINGLES.pdfAnd Give Big April 30-May 1: GiveBigGV.orgFollow us on instagram: @outlawbeatpodcastOur barn at EBS: https://www.explorebigsky.com/outlaw-podcastsHelp us corral more listeners like yourself by subscribing and then reviewing us wherever you get your podcasts.Still need more links? Okay here's one more. https://www.hoarymarmot.net/