With the state's firefighting bills adding up to more than $100 million this year, one is reminded of Gov. Brian Schweitzer's comments last week about Montana's economy: That it's bound to weaken.

Meanwhile, legislators were told Monday, fire-suppression costs seem bound to keep rising.

According to a Legislative Fiscal Division report, 2007 fire-fighting costs amount to $107 million, about 60 percent of which will be paid with federal funds. That still leaves a state bill of about $43 million, more than double the amount expected in an average fire year, and more than the state has earmarked for firefighting for both this year and next.

The good news is that this year, the fire spending hardly even hurts. With commodity prices soaring for oil and coal, wheat precious metals and with construction, both residential and retail, ignoring downturns in most of the rest of the country, revenue is pouring into the state's coffers so fast that Montana already is returning some to property owners.

But, Schweitzer told the Associated Press last week, he doesn't think the state's high-powered economy can last. UM economist Paul Polzin agreed. "We can't buck the national trend forever," he said.

The Legislature's Fire Suppression Interim Committee, created last September during the special session, is looking for ways to hold down costs. But it got little encouragement Monday.

State Forester Bob Harrington told lawmakers that no simple policy is going to reduce costs associated with a trend toward more large fires and an ever-growing wildland-urban interface. And, legislators were told, federal fire-suppression support is expected to decline in coming years.

Clearly Montana and other western states face an ongoing problem -- and one that isn't going to care when revenues take their inevitable turn south.

Schweitzer told the AP that he advises small businesses throughout the state to "put a little money aside" for when the economy slows. Regarding fire suppression, the state might be well advised to do the same.