BOZEMAN — It’s been raining in Bozeman. A lot.
And with the Fourth of July just around the corner, that may not be such a bad thing as fireworks season ramps up across the area.
WATCH: Rain is bringing relief to Bozeman ahead of the Fourth of July — but fire officials say the risk isn't gone
“It can be busy,” said Shane Brandhorst when asked what the holiday is like as a firefighter.
Brandhorst, the fire marshal for the city of Bozeman, started his firefighting career in high school and now has 33 years of experience under his belt. The last four years have been spent with Bozeman Fire.
When asked whether crews have responded to many fireworks-related fires, Brandhorst said incidents have been relatively limited.
“I think there’s been a few incidents where they’ve responded, but for the most part it hasn’t been too bad,” he said.
In 2023, the city passed Ordinance No. 2134, banning fireworks within city limits except for sparklers. When asked whether people follow the ordinance, Brandhorst answered:
“Uh, no, not all.”
After a dry winter left fire danger unusually high, firefighters were growing concerned about what the Fourth of July could bring. I asked if these firefighters were getting nervous.
“Absolutely,” Brandhorst said. “Obviously we didn’t have a very wet winter, and so as we watched the temperatures heating up, we were worried about the grass.”
But after days of near nonstop rain, conditions have changed dramatically.
“While the rain lowers the risk, it doesn’t eliminate it because they burn so hot,” Brandhorst said of fireworks.
To get a meteorologist’s perspective, MTN meteorologist Matt Elwell broke down just how much rain southwest Montana has received in recent days.
“Oh man, it depends on where you look,” Elwell said. “A lot of areas are seeing anywhere from an inch to over 3 inches.”
According to Elwell, Whitehall received 2.18 inches of rain over the past three days, while Bozeman saw 1.37 inches.
And the moisture hasn’t been limited to rain. Bridger Bowl’s Red Chair camera showed roughly 15 inches of fresh powder Monday afternoon.
“The lucky thing is that it’s been slow enough that we’re not dealing with a lot of flooding concerns, and it’s getting a chance to actually soak in,” Elwell said. “This is exactly what the doctor ordered.”
Elwell said the rainfall will make a major impact on drought conditions, especially in Beaverhead and Madison counties. Still, he cautioned that the fire risk hasn’t disappeared entirely.
“I think it certainly gives us a little peace of mind,” Elwell said. “I don’t think it makes everything clear. There are still grasses that are browning and starting to cure. But the fact that we have this nice soaking rain certainly is going to help green things up and make it harder to burn.”
For Brandhorst, the message heading into the holiday weekend is simple: celebrate safely.
“We just want everybody to be safe,” he said. “We don’t want the risk of fires to start. We don’t want anybody to get hurt. So just come down to the fairgrounds and enjoy it with us.”
The city will host its annual fireworks show at the fairgrounds Saturday, July 4, at 10 p.m.
