Free wildfire risk assessments in western Montana

Who offers free wildfire risk assessments in Missoula?

Inside the Missoula area, two public options overlap. The City of Missoula's wildfire prevention page says the Missoula Fire Department provides free defensible space consultations in the Missoula wildland-urban interface, scheduled by calling 406-552-6210 during normal business hours. The same page notes the city is working toward Firewise USA recognition and links a guide to planning and creating defensible space.

Missoula County's Office of Emergency Management has a wildfire mitigation team that offers free home assessments, requested through a form on the county's website. The county lists its wildfire program number as 406-880-8090 and its office at 200 W. Broadway (annex basement) in Missoula, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Missoula Rural Fire District's wildfire page says the district partners with the county office on wildfire risk reduction and that property assessment and mitigation are available on request.

Who offers them in Ravalli County and the Bitterroot?

Fire in the Root, a Ravalli County council whose members include local fire protection agencies, state and local government, residents, realtors, builders, insurance agents and others, offers free wildfire risk assessments that you schedule through a form on its website. Its page lists (406) 219-1052 and fireintheroot@gmail.com, and says the council meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Victor Fire Hall and on Zoom. It is also working on an update of the 2006 Bitterroot Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

The Bitter Root RC&D in Hamilton is a different kind of visit: it is a cost-share program, and after an application its page says a forester contacts you to discuss it and possibly schedule a site assessment. More on that below, and in our Ravalli County fire resources guide.

Can anyone in Montana request a DNRC assessment?

Montana DNRC's Wildfire Prevention and Preparedness page invites property owners to request a free wildfire risk assessment for recommendations on how to better prepare a home for wildfire. Requests go through its Request a Site Visit page, and the page says a local fire professional will contact you to schedule a visit. It also points to a video on reducing risk in the home ignition zone and to local DNRC service foresters.

What does a wildfire risk assessment look at?

The house and what is around it, starting at the structure. NFPA's Firewise checklist says experiments, models and post-fire studies have shown homes ignite due to the condition of the home and everything around it up to 200 feet from the foundation, and recommends starting with the house, then the first five feet, then the zones further out. Expect the assessor to look at the roof and gutters, vents, decks, fences touching the house, what is stored against walls, the first five feet, the trees and shrubs within 30 and 100 feet, slope, and access for fire engines.

Missoula County says its specialist confirms eligibility for cost-share and discusses options in a customized treatment plan. Exactly what you receive varies by program, so ask before the visit whether you will get a written report, photos or a plan.

What will an assessment not tell you?

It will not give you a price, and it is not an arborist's assessment of tree health or structural risk. An assessor may tell you a group of trees needs thinning without saying which individual trees are sound, which have root rot or beetle activity, or which can be pruned rather than removed. That is where a contractor's walkthrough comes in, and where an ISA Certified Arborist earns their keep; see our tree health and risk assessment service.

It is also a snapshot. The Colorado State Forest Service guide reminds owners that the home ignition zone needs regular, ongoing maintenance because vegetation keeps growing, dying and dropping needles.

How does an assessment connect to cost-share money?

Directly, in Missoula County. The county's cost-share page lists the free risk assessment as step one: a wildfire mitigation specialist visits to determine eligibility and discuss a customized treatment plan, then the owner gets contractor estimates, the plan and estimate are approved, the work is done and inspected, and the county pays up to 75 percent of eligible costs, subject to a per-acre cap, directly to the contractor. In Ravalli County, the Bitter Root RC&D accepts applications year round for its hazardous fuels reduction program, says initial contact can take a few weeks, and says all cost-share projects are subject to grant funding availability. Program terms change, so confirm before you plan. Our cost-share and grants guide covers the details.

What recommendations should you expect to hear?

Missoula County publishes its priorities, and they give a fair preview. First priority: clear a five-foot buffer around the home, clear debris from gutters, the roof and around fences, install flame and ember resistant vents, clear on top of and under the deck, install a Class A rated roof, and move an external propane tank more than 10 feet from the home. Second priority: replace wood or plastic fences attached to the house with metal, enclose low decks and areas under bay windows, and remove branches that overhang the roof or touch the house. Third priority: non-combustible lower siding, enclosed eaves, and better windows, doors and decking. Notice how little of the top tier is about the forest. Fuel management, including chip days, permitted burning and work with a DNRC service forester, is listed separately.

Is an assessment the same as a Wildfire Prepared Home designation?

No. A free assessment is advice. Wildfire Prepared Home is a designation from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety that IBHS expanded to Montana in April 2026. Homeowners complete a set of steps and a third party verifies them in person. The program charges an application fee, the designation lasts three years with an annual review after the first and second years, and its FAQ says insurance discounts are not guaranteed and vary by insurer and state. An assessment is a sensible first step whether or not you ever apply. See our guide on wildfire and home insurance in Montana.

When is the best time to get an assessment?

Late summer through winter, so the work can be scheduled for fall or early spring and finished before the next fire season. The Bitter Root RC&D notes it can take a few weeks just to hear back, so allow for lead time. If you are buying a property, an assessment during the purchase is useful too; see our guide on fire mitigation and selling a Montana home.

What should you do to prepare for the visit?

Walk the property yourself first with the NFPA zones in mind, and note questions: the tree over the garage, the juniper by the deck, the wood fence that meets the siding. Know your property lines, because NFPA's checklist notes that home ignition zones often extend into neighbors' land. Have a rough idea of what you are willing to do yourself and what you would hire out. And be ready to hear that the biggest problems are close to the house, not out in the trees.

What do you do with the results?

Sort the recommendations into three piles: things you can do this weekend (needles, gutters, firewood, stored items, mulch), things for a crew (thinning, ladder fuels, limbing, removals, slash), and things for other trades (vents, roofing, siding, propane tank moves). Our guide to DIY defensible space versus hiring helps with the first two, and home hardening basics explains the third, which is work we do not do. Then get estimates for the crew work, using our questions to ask.

Do we do assessments?

We give free estimates, and during the walkthrough we will tell you what we see. But we are a contractor, and the free public assessments above come from people with no stake in the work. We recommend getting one first. Arriving with an assessment or treatment plan usually makes our estimate faster and tighter, and it is the route into cost-share where that is available.

For more, see the Montana Wildfire & Defensible Space Guide and our Missoula County wildfire resources guide. When you are ready for the work itself, our fire mitigation service covers it. Call HJ Property Care & Tree Service at (406) 215-7319 or request a free estimate and we will walk the property with you.

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