Flathead OES

Today, members of the Montana 83rd Civil Support Team and Kalispell Fire Department are training at the Flathead County Fairgrounds as part of a coordinated emergency response exercise.

These training events strengthen interagency communication, improve operational readiness, and ensure our teams are prepared to respond quickly and effectively when our community needs us most.

Thank you to all participating personnel for their professionalism, dedication, and commitment to public safety.

Per Flathead County Sheriff's Office

Incident in the Hwy 209/Ferndale Drive area

The scene is now clear. The suspicious device was evaluated and determined not contain any threat or dangerous material. Thank you for your patience.

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Shelter In Place. Explosive Device in area Hwy 209 and Ferndale Drive Bigfork.
Explosive device reported in the area of Hwy 209 and Ferndale Drive. SHELTER IN PLACE now. Stay indoors, away from windows and doors. Do NOT approach the area. Additional Information will be provided by Law Enforcement

Join DNRC and partners in celebrating Mike West, recipient of the 2026 Wildfire Mitigation Award. This is the nation’s highest honor in the field of wildfire preparedness and recognizes West’s extraordinary leadership in protecting Montana communities.

As Fire Prevention and Mitigation Specialist for the Flathead National Forest in Kalispell, West helps lead FireSafe Flathead, a multi-agency collaborative dedicated to creating and supporting fire-adapted communities in the Flathead area and beyond.

Among an impressive list of successes through his work with FireSafe Flathead, Mike was pivotal in securing a $10 million Community Wildfire Defense Grant. This grant serves qualifying communities adjacent to Glacier National Park through a project that will treat 3,523 acres with direct benefit to 80,000 nearby landowners over the next five years. The grant is supported by Montana DNRC, The Forest Service - Flathead National Forest, Flathead County MT, Montana West Economic Development - MWED, and Flathead Electric Cooperative, Inc.

“Mike is a force multiplier in our Montana community and beyond, and I am proud to support his nomination for the Wildfire Mitigation Award,” said Shawn Thomas, State Forester with DNRC.

Mike previously served with DNRC as a Fire Cache “speedy” and engine crew member from 1997-2002 and has remained a steadfast partner in our work ever since. Thank you, Mike, for being a role model partner and for your work in making Flathead forests and communities more wildfire resilient!

➡ To read more about Mike, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/flathead/newsroom/releases/flatheads-mike-west-recognized-wildfire-mitigation