Gallatin County Emergency Management

Current Information

Gallatin County Commission Bans Fireworks, Burn Bans in Two Fire Districts

For immediate release: June 30, 2021

Due to dangerous fire conditions caused by a continued drought in southwest Montana, the Gallatin County Commission has banned fireworks, recreational burning, and open burning in two high fire hazard areas in the county ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

On Wednesday, commissioners approved an emergency ordinance that bans those fire-related activities in the Big Sky Fire District and in the Hebgen Basin Fire District in the West Yellowstone area.

See the full ordinance here.

The emergency ordinance is effective immediately. It will automatically expire after 90 days unless rescinded sooner by the county commission.

Most fire districts in Gallatin County have also banned permitted open burning within their districts. The latest information on which districts currently have bans can be found at gallatinburnpermits.com.

Fireworks are always prohibited on public lands such as U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands.

The Town of West Yellowstone has prohibited fireworks within town limits over the Fourth of July weekend.

Gallatin County’s other cities and towns have their own fireworks regulations in place. Know what fireworks restrictions are in your area before considering shooting off fireworks. Please contact your local agencies for more information about specific rules that they have in place.

The Gallatin County Commission urges everyone to celebrate the Fourth of July safely and responsibly this year.

Spring Flooding – It’s Almost That Time

As Gallatin County moves closer to spring, the risk of spring flooding increases. While we can not predict if Gallatin County will see any flooding in 2021, we know that now is the time to prepare your property in order to minimize the the potential effect of flooding.

The most prevalent cause of localized flooding are obstructed waterways that block the flow of water and cause it to go where you don’t want it. Now is the time to make sure ditches and culverts on your property are clear of debris so we can keep as much water in them as possible.

Additionally, if you feel your property is at risk of flooding, you may want to consider flood insurance. Flood damage is not covered by homeowners insurance. Flood insurance has a 30 day waiting period for the policy to take effect, so you can not wait until flooding is imminent to get a policy. Contact your insurance agency for policy information.

Now is also the time to develop a plan on how you will protect your property if you are affected by flooding later this spring. Once flooding occurs, the damage is done. So developing a plan now, and implementing it early is critical to minimizing damage.

More information on flooding is available at: https://www.readygallatin.com/community-resources/preparedness-information/flooding-in-gallatin-county/.

View the Keep It Flowing educational video at: https://youtu.be/z_LtMhhyiqo