East Valley Rural Fire District

05/24/2026

Heads up! You will see increased smoke again in the area of the Jericho Fire. 👀 Please make sure it’s a new start in the area before calling it in!

05/21/2026

As EMS week comes to a close we owe a huge thank‑you to the incredible EMTs of East Valley Fire Department. Your dedication, compassion, and steady professionalism make all the difference on some of our community’s toughest days. You show up—day and night, in every kind of weather—to protect and care for our neighbors, and we are deeply grateful.

To our EMTs: we see your sacrifice, we appreciate your commitment, and we’re proud to serve alongside you. Thank you for everything you do for East Valley.

05/13/2026

Elevated to critical fire weather conditions develop this afternoon amid hot, dry, and breezy to windy conditions. There will also be gusty showers and thunderstorms that race northeastward in the afternoon and evening. Be sure to avoid actions that may cause sparks and be ready to take shelter from storms if outdoors.

04/19/2026

🔥 We’re Making a Little Smoke Today… (On Purpose) 🔥

Our crews will be out doing some burning today, primarily along Canyon Ferry and Wylie.

If you see smoke, no need to panic—it’s us.

🚒 A few quick favors to keep everyone safe:

• Try to stay out of the smoke, we do our best to mitigate how much is going into the roadway, so just be careful!

• Keep an eye out for fire trucks and personnel

This is part of planned district maintenance, and we’ll be out there most of the day.

Thanks for helping us keep things safe (no need to call in the smoke, we are around there somewhere! 😉).

Photo Cred: Jacob Ricciardi (FF/ EMT)

04/15/2026

This week, we celebrate our incredible dispatchers during Telecommunications Week.

Thank you for being the calm voice on the other end of the line during some of the hardest moments people will ever face. Your ability to stay steady, think quickly, and care deeply makes a difference in every single call.

While your work often happens behind the scenes, it is absolutely essential to everything we do. We are grateful for your dedication, your professionalism, and the compassion you show every day.

Happy Telecommunications Week—we appreciate you more than words can say. Lewis and Clark County / City of Helena 911 Center

Last week, Mayor Dean proclaimed April 12-18 as Public Safety Telecommunicator Week!

We are so grateful for the amazing men and women who work in our 9-1-1 dispatch center. They play crucial role in protecting human life and property within our community by answering emergency calls, engaging with callers who are often distressed or in danger, gathering critical information, identifying the nature of emergencies, and dispatching appropriate public safety resources.

04/14/2026

We’ve been getting so many questions about how to join the department.(Okay… maybe “so many” is generous, but several.)

If you’ve ever wanted to be a firefighter and/or EMT, now’s a great time to jump in. We will teach you everything you will need to know. We just put a link in the site that can direct anyone to the correct department.

Age doesn't matter as long as you are over the age of 18 and want to help!

Hit the link in our bio to learn more or join the crew!

04/07/2026

Friendly reminder from your Fire Department:
If you’ve done any burning in the last week, today’s the day to grab a cup of coffee, step outside, and make sure those piles are actually out. Embers + wind = the kind of teamwork we don’t want.

Help us keep things safe, calm, and flame‑free out there. We appreciate you!

Stay safe, stay grounded (unlike your garbage can lids today), and give those old burn sites a quick double-check.

03/24/2026

Stephanie McCann took a great shot of our Tender that was working the rattlesnake fire! Thanks Stephanie. We hope you see this.

Joey always does a great job of keeping us all updated as well. Be sure to take a look at his page for all the happenings and a great forcast!

SUNDAY WILDFIRE UPDATES 🔥 here are all the updates as of 2:20 PM Sunday (3/22/26) fires around Jefferson and Lewis and Clark Counties.

Ordway Fire: Located 2.5 miles northeast of Craig, evacuation orders in still in place for areas south of Beaver Slide Loop, including Arrow Drive, Ordway Road, and Little Bear Lane. Resources on scene include 9 Engines, 1 tender, 1 Type 1 helicopter, and 2 hand crews.
Start Date: 3/20/26
Acres: 185
Cause: Human, escaped debris burn
Containment: 50%

Rattlesnake Fire: Located north of Helena near interstate 15 around the Gates of the Mountains exit, crews are in the mop up stage. Expect to see smoke around the area. Traffic is no longer heavily impacted, but use caution when driving past the area for the safety of firefighters.
Start Date: 3/20/26
Acres: 47
Cause: Human, escaped debris burn
Containment: 80%

Golconda Fire: Located southeast of Jefferson City on Tizer Lake Road, this fire is contained and will have crews patrolling the area watching for hot spots.
Start Date: 3/20/26
Acres: 6
Cause: Human, escaped debris burn
Containment: 100%

Panama Fire: Located north of I-90 near mile marker 263, northeast of Cardwell, this fire is contained and will have crews patrolling the area watching for hot spots.
Start Date: 3/18/26
Acres: 598
Cause: Human, campfire
Containment: 100%

📷: Stephannie McCann (taken 3/20/26 of East Valley FD vehicle filling up with water near Gates of the Mountains to fight the Rattlesnake Fire)

03/24/2026

🔥 Fire Weather Watch🔥

Let’s Not Add Any “Surprise” Fires to the Week

We’re under a Fire Weather Watch, and our crews have been hopping from one fire to the next lately. We love seeing the community…but preferably not because something accidentally caught on fire.

A few friendly reminders to help keep things calm out there:
• Skip the open burning for now — we promise your brush pile isn’t going anywhere
• Check your equipment for anything that might spark (chainsaws, mowers, tractors that think they’re fireworks, etc.)
• Don’t park on or drive through dry grass — your vehicle gets enough attention without starting a fire
• Cigarette butts go in the trash, not the ground
• Secure those trailer chains — we’re aiming for “road trip,” not “sparks parade”
• And if you see smoke, call 911 so we can get there before it grows

Thanks for helping us keep the flames only on birthday candles this week!

12/21/2024

SANTA HAS BEEN SPOTTED! The big man made a stop at East Valley Fire to hear your wishes for Christmas! Stop by to meet him. Please bring non perishable food items for our food drive. All donations Will go to Helena Food Share! See you soon!