Montana National Guard trains at Fort Harrison for wildfire season

FORT HARRISON, Mont. — As dry conditions raised wildfire concerns across Treasure State, the Montana National Guard carried out red card training at Fort Harrison to build up emergency response capacity before fire season.

The hands-on evaluations happened Thursday and covered fire line construction, safety, fire behavior, communications and coordinated response. A DNRC official said wildland firefighters and National Guard soldiers need to understand the basics of firefighting.

This training serves as a nationally recognized certification that qualified personnel to support wildland firefighting under state and federal management systems.

More than 400 Montana National Guard soldiers and airmen had earned red card certification over the past five years. By the end of the current training cycle, that total is expected to pass 500 statewide.

National Guard leaders said they want their soldiers trained to the same level DNRC trains their wildland firefighters.

"In the event that we get called out to assist on a fire, our guys are ready to integrate right into the team no different than any other wildland firefighter," said Noah Genger, Montana National Guard joint director of military support.

The State Emergency Coordination Center reports the governor has to issue an executive order before the National Guard could deploy to a wildfire. They also said the last wildfire deployment happened in 2021.

Genger said he wants to see a 24- to 48-hour turnaround after notification if the Guard were deployed.

"We would bring them in and get them all the equipment that they need and get them out to the fire crews," said Genger.

The training also highlights the National Guard's readiness and its support role for civil authorities during emergencies.