May is National Wildfire Awareness Month
MANAGER’S MESSAGE
Preparing today for tomorrow’s fire season
May is recognized as National Wildfire Awareness Month, a time to reflect on the increasing wildfire risk across the West and the steps we can all take to reduce it. Here in western Montana, wildfire is not a distant threat, it is a reality that continues to shape how we live, work and operate critical infrastructure.
At Missoula Electric Cooperative (MEC), wildfire mitigation is not seasonal work. It is a year-round commitment and a core part of how we deliver safe, reliable power to our members. Over the past several years, MEC has taken a leadership role in wildfire preparedness, investing in both planning and on-the-ground improvements to reduce risk across our system. That work continues with the cooperative’s updated 2025 Wildfire Mitigation Plan, which reflects our continuing evolution in field practices, situational readiness and meeting regulatory expectations.
Wildfire mitigation plans are now required for utilities across Montana, reinforcing what we have long recognized: preventing utility-related ignitions and improving system resilience must be a top priority. Our approach begins with understanding risk. MEC uses predictive tools and real-time data to identify areas where conditions are most likely to contribute to wildfire ignition. This allows crews to proactively inspect, maintain and upgrade infrastructure before problems occur.
A key component of the 2025 plan is continued system hardening. This includes targeted vegetation management, replacement of aging infrastructure and the strategic undergrounding of powerlines in high-risk areas such as the Swan Valley and Rock Creek corridors. These projects, often supported by grant funding, significantly reduce the likelihood of ignition during extreme weather events.
MEC continues to expand and explore the use of advanced tools to support both preparation and response during fire season. This includes enhanced situational awareness capabilities, such as the Daily Situational Awareness Tool (DSAT), to better inform planning and decision-making, as well as reviewing our emergency response protocols, to improve coordination when events do occur. Together, these efforts help reduce the extent and duration of power interruptions, particularly during periods of high wind and low humidity.
Importantly, wildfire mitigation is not just about infrastructure, it is about coordination. MEC works closely with local, state and federal partners to align vegetation management practices, improve permitting processes and advocate for policies that support proactive wildfire prevention. As wildfire risk continues to grow, these partnerships are essential to protecting our communities.
The cooperative also recognizes that members play a vital role. Creating defensible space around homes, staying informed during fire season and being prepared for potential outages all contribute to a safer system overall. Wildfire preparedness is a shared responsibility, and small actions can make a meaningful difference.
We encourage all members to take time this May to review their own wildfire preparedness plans and take simple steps to improve defensible space around their homes. After all, the work we do today is the most important investment we will ever make in the safety of the communities we serve.
