Post by Admin on Sept 7, 2020 2:59:34 GMT -7
"Officials" give update on Bridger Foothills Fire
The Bridger Fire is still active and growing. The winds were lighter on Sunday so the fire did not have explosive growth as it did on Saturday. More people were ordered to evacuate as the fire marched towards Jackson Creek to the south and Bridger Bowl Ski area to the north. Those already evacuated were prevented from returning. Only government officials were allowed in the fire zone and thus accurate news regarding personal loss and devastation was sparse. In a KBZK story it was revealed that "dozens" of homes were damaged. There were hundreds in the fire area. Gallatin County was happy to collect property taxes for many decades, but it appears was unable to protect those same homes from a forest fire. Once people were evacuated few were left to witness the devastation. Were resources spread so thin that some homes were allowed to burn without receiving even a modest spraying of water? Did other homes survive due to a sudden shift in the wind? When people return to their homes, the evidence will be waiting. Buildings that were allowed to burn will be little more than a heap of ashes on top of a concrete slab or surrounded by a blackened concrete foundation. Windows and aluminum gutters will have melted and flowed from the intense heat. Homes that remain standing and whole in yards where the trees and shrubs are still green were spared by nature or just plain luck. Homes with blackened walls and partially charred timbers are ones where firemen made a valiant attempt to save it. Yards with burned trees and charred grass but a standing and soot stained home are a testament to fire fighting success.
How many of the residents were retirees enjoying the remaining time allotted to them in the majesty of the mountains? Did any of the homes house a small business which helped the owners make ends meet? Bridger Canyon contained many stand alone business operations. Were they destroyed by the fire? How will the owners and employees earn a living? How will they cope with their tremendous losses?
The Bridger Fire is still 0 percent contained. Has everything possible been done, to save the homes, businesses and protect the property of owners? Will officials wait until the ashes of the last home burned, have cooled, before they allow owners and reporters to see the awful devastation? Will they continue to use antiseptic language by calling lovely homes "structures" and insist that the "safety" of firefighters is more important than anyone's home or business? Is it best to sit back and watch property and livelihoods be destroyed than act with courage to save and preserve the community?
Insurance will cover some financial losses. Some people will rebuild their home or business. But all will bear scars from the fire that will be with them forever.
It will take the heavy snows of winter and a spring melt to thoroughly extinguish the Bridger fire. A flare up can happen anytime before winter when the winds pick up. Cooler weather and rain will clear the air and tamp down the fire for a while. The pain and suffering of personal loss will take much longer to heal. Homes contain little treasures; family photos, generational heirlooms and the stuff of everyday life. Each has a memory attached to it. Fire cruelly destroys those objects and attempts to erase the wonderful memories they evoke. It will take years, even decades for many residents to rebuild their lives and heal from the fire. The neighborhood, the mountain splendor and in many cases the home and/or business they cherished will all be gone.
KBZK reports:
"According to the U.S. Forest Service,the Bridger Foothills Fire is still active, reporting zero percent containment.
“The acres today are 7,000. Overnight, we did an infrared flight which gave us a lot better mapping. Yesterday’s update had an estimate from the rapid growth yesterday and the acres that came out of that infrared flight are 7,000 acres,” said Mariah Leuschen, Public Affairs Specialist with the U.S. Forest Service.
Residents have been evacuated from Bridger Canyon, Kelly Canyon, and Jackson Creek area due to the growing fire.
As of Sunday morning, all unaccounted residents were reported safe; now the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office is working on keeping residents away from the scene.
“We’re trying to keep everything as clear as possible. So right now that’s our focus and then also we have fire movement. But I have also just been told that we have warned everyone and cleaned everyone out so things are looking really good,” said Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin.
Some of the biggest concerns now: winds that are picking up and the fire approaching Bridger Bowl Ski Resort.
And of course, structure damage. We asked Sheriff Gootkin for a report on the number of homes that have been damaged and he said, “Dozens. Easily. I’ve driven up through there and it’s pretty devastating. We’ll have a better idea tomorrow with the weather to go up through and get a better count.”
On Sunday afternoon, officials held a public meeting and said the cooler weather should help, but it won’t solve all the problems.
“This fire is going to be here. We’re going to continue to manage it through the long-term. Throughout September. Even when that fire is completely out and when we’re able to get that thing contained, we’re still gonna be working with this fire,” said Corey Lewellen with the U.S. Forest Service."
"According to the U.S. Forest Service,the Bridger Foothills Fire is still active, reporting zero percent containment.
“The acres today are 7,000. Overnight, we did an infrared flight which gave us a lot better mapping. Yesterday’s update had an estimate from the rapid growth yesterday and the acres that came out of that infrared flight are 7,000 acres,” said Mariah Leuschen, Public Affairs Specialist with the U.S. Forest Service.
Residents have been evacuated from Bridger Canyon, Kelly Canyon, and Jackson Creek area due to the growing fire.
As of Sunday morning, all unaccounted residents were reported safe; now the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office is working on keeping residents away from the scene.
“We’re trying to keep everything as clear as possible. So right now that’s our focus and then also we have fire movement. But I have also just been told that we have warned everyone and cleaned everyone out so things are looking really good,” said Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin.
Some of the biggest concerns now: winds that are picking up and the fire approaching Bridger Bowl Ski Resort.
And of course, structure damage. We asked Sheriff Gootkin for a report on the number of homes that have been damaged and he said, “Dozens. Easily. I’ve driven up through there and it’s pretty devastating. We’ll have a better idea tomorrow with the weather to go up through and get a better count.”
On Sunday afternoon, officials held a public meeting and said the cooler weather should help, but it won’t solve all the problems.
“This fire is going to be here. We’re going to continue to manage it through the long-term. Throughout September. Even when that fire is completely out and when we’re able to get that thing contained, we’re still gonna be working with this fire,” said Corey Lewellen with the U.S. Forest Service."