Fire season 2008 is here, and the Independent Record’s online interactive fire site, Flash Point, is ready to capture full coverage of the state’s fires.

The site is a prime source for up-to-the-minute information on fires burning in Lewis and Clark County and across Montana.

“This site is interactive and immediate, and any information our reporters have, you will have as a reader — as soon as we have it,” editor John Doran said.

Flash Point will launch Thursday afternoon, and will contain stories on all the active fires burning in the region. Updated stories will be posted throughout the day as firefighter efforts progress. Every story contains reader forums, where you can

discuss fires, evacuations, firefighting efforts and related topics.

There also is an interactive map, with spot locations and core information on fires — how many acres, percent contained, what type management team, information on fuels — burning throughout

Montana.

Grouped below the map are photo galleries of the Independent Record photographers’ work, and video galleries of all the video segments the paper will shoot covering fires this year.

“And one of the most useful functions enables our reporters and photographers to post breaking news clips right from the fire lines via cell phone,” Doran said. “There is no quicker source of breaking news.”

Not only will Flash Point harness the resources of the Independent Record, it also will rely upon readers and firefighters to submit their own information in the form of photos, videos and tips.

There are user-submitted photo and video galleries, and a function enabling residents to submit a fire tip if they see something burning.

Flash Point, which generated 425,000 page views last fire season and won a Lee President’s Award for Excellence in Journalism, is reachable through the IR’s home page or at

www.helenair.com/series/

flashpoint.