Homeowners and landowners concerned about preparing for wildland fires can get help Saturday, Aug. 29 at Lockwood School.

The "Fire Ready, Montana" event, from 10 a.m. to noon, will cover wildland fire mitigation, insurance and volunteering.

"It's going to be a fairlike atmosphere," said Bev Ferguson, one of the organizers. "There'll be a lot of information there. And there are grants available to people who need help clearing land to help keep it fire-safe."

The fair will be followed from noon to 2 p.m. with neighborhood map training.

"It will teach community members who might need extra help evacuating, where there are gas lines or a pool that could be used for water," Ferguson said.

The event is free and open to the public. Similar events are being held across the state in five other communities.

"We want to help citizens be prepared in the event of an emergency," said Jan Lombardi, director of the Governor's Office of Community Service.

The "Fire Ready, Montana" tour is presented by the Governor's Office of Community Service in partnership with AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Citizen Corps, Firesafe MT, local fire departments, the State Auditor's Office, Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Disaster and Emergency Services and local emergency officials.

The program is part of the newly launched "Are you Ready?" campaign that is funded through a federal grant from the Department of Homeland Security's Citizen Corps.

For information about the community events, visit the Web site: ready.mt.gov.