gerryr
Member
We live in a pretty heavily wooded area outside Billings, Montana. Yesterday morning, a fire started about a mile from our house and downhill. We were forcibly evacuated from our house about 1:00pm as the fire crested the ridge about 1/4 mile away. We managed to get the dogs, cats and horses out but that was it. Fortunately, the fire department had foamed our house and according to a call from the fire department this morning, it worked. Our house is still standing, but we don't know about the barn. The fire has so far burned about 3,300 acres and is not yet under control. They're using slurry bombers and helicopters dumping water. Weather forecast for today is 95 degrees and 20-30 mph winds. We won't be able to go home today, but hopefully we can tomorrow. Then, there's the issue of restoring power since all the power lines are above ground and are most likely fried. I should have taken my lathe!
8/24: My wife and I managed to convince the sheriff's deputy at the road block to let us in for a bit this morning. The damage right near out house was not what we expected. Apparently, when the fire crested the ridge about 1/4 mile west of our house it picked up speed and raced east for about 3/4 mile and then slowed and turned a bit south. The firefighters did a terrific job as well as the slurry bombers and our house is unscathed. We may lose some trees and the grasses are completely blackened, but the grass will be back in the spring better than ever. The only real damage is to the fence around our pasture, several posts gone or broken, but the barn is fine as is the 2 tons of hay inside. The word is that we will be able to go back in permanently tonight. We have electricity but no water since the fire department drained our cisterns fighting the fire, fine with us. A couple of pictures follow. I don't now how the tepee poles survived, except the grass may not have generated enough heat to ignite them.
8/24: My wife and I managed to convince the sheriff's deputy at the road block to let us in for a bit this morning. The damage right near out house was not what we expected. Apparently, when the fire crested the ridge about 1/4 mile west of our house it picked up speed and raced east for about 3/4 mile and then slowed and turned a bit south. The firefighters did a terrific job as well as the slurry bombers and our house is unscathed. We may lose some trees and the grasses are completely blackened, but the grass will be back in the spring better than ever. The only real damage is to the fence around our pasture, several posts gone or broken, but the barn is fine as is the 2 tons of hay inside. The word is that we will be able to go back in permanently tonight. We have electricity but no water since the fire department drained our cisterns fighting the fire, fine with us. A couple of pictures follow. I don't now how the tepee poles survived, except the grass may not have generated enough heat to ignite them.
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