Prevent Montana wildfires by checking for dragging chains while towing a trailer | Montana News | montanarightnow.com

As our coverage of wildfire season continues, NonStop Local is also working on sharing information to help you prevent wildfires.

BILLINGS, Mont. - As our coverage of wildfire season continues, NonStop Local is also working on sharing information to help you prevent wildfires.

To find out more on what you can do, NonStop Local’s Diane Casanova spoke to Midway Auto & RV to learn how to prevent fires sparked by dragging tow chains.

One of the most common reasons that a fire starts is because people are inadvertently dragging their chains when they're towing something behind their vehicles.

Make sure they're not wrapped around anything.

You want the chains to hang about four or five the ground.

If they are closer to the ground, you can twist the chain a little bit to pull them up further from the ground.

It is too tight if the chain is in a tight, straight line between the vehicle and the trailer.

Chains should be loose enough to allow for some extra give when you are turning your vehicle.

Sometimes there is a place on the hitch where drivers can hook their chains, but chains should always be on the vehicle that the hitch is mounted to.

Sometimes people will attach one hook to the vehicle, and the second chain onto the first hook.

You want both chains on the vehicle, so that way they're doing their job.

Make sure that the trailer you are towing is locked securely onto the hitch ball of your vehicle.

Your safety chains should be hooked on correctly, and not dragging on the ground.

Your power connection from the trailer should be properly plugged into the vehicle.

Your breakaway cable should be secured to the truck as well, in the event your trailer disconnects.

While there are no available statistics on how many wildfires are caused specifically by dragging chains, according to the Congressional Research Service, about 89% of wildfires between the years of 2018 and 2022 were human caused.

UPDATE: July 23 at 1:42 p.m.

NonStop Local News Director

NonStop Local Digital Journalist

Currently in Missoula

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