As I look back on 2025 for the MIB, I pause to reflect on this past summer in Montana, and I’m struck by how fortunate we were to experience one of the mildest fire seasons in recent memory. After several years of smoky skies and active fire maps being a daily reality, 2025 brought a refreshing change. According to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the state experienced less than one-third of the average acreage burned over the last decade, thanks in part to cooler temperatures and wetter conditions.