Viewpoint: Turn wildfire risk into a community strength

Hayden Cook

Every summer, the wildfire season gets longer, hotter, and more dangerous. Smoke fills our valley, evacuation alerts hit our phones, and many Missoulians are left wondering: Are we ready? Right now, we’re not.

Approximately 94% of buildings in Missoula are at risk of wildfire in the coming decades. That includes homes in town, not just in the woods or on the hillsides. Our city needs to take real, focused action to protect people where they live.

If elected to City Council, I will prioritize wildfire preparedness that’s community-based and climate-smart. That means:

• Expanding education and risk-reduction programs that help residents understand how to protect their homes, especially renters, mobile home communities, and low-income households that are often left out of these efforts.

• Improving infrastructure for clean air and safe shelter during smoke and high heat events, including more air-quality monitoring and support for cooling and clean-air centers when conditions are dangerous.

• Strengthening emergency communication tools so every neighborhood knows when to evacuate, where to go, and how to stay informed in real time.

• Addressing neighborhoods with limited evacuation routes (Pattee Canyon, Rattlesnake, and Grant Creek) by working to improve access and evacuation plans so residents aren’t trapped when wildfire strikes.

Missoula has strong goals for long-term climate action, and I support them. We need to meet this moment with clear planning and real resources, not just talk. It’s a safety, public health, and environmental issue. Missoula has the chance to lead with smart, local solutions that protect the people who make this city home. Safety and resilience starts with us. It’s time to prepare Missoula for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s.

Hayden Cook is a candidate for City Council in Ward 2.