Re: Fires In Montana

["Bill and Jan Stevens" <circlebarranch@mcn.net>]

The eastern end of Montana is thinking of you guys....Our fires are about out, all that burns now is within the firelines.  All total I think it was 60,600 acres that burned here at the Fort Howes Complex fire.  Our overhead team from Idaho left yesterday to another fire somewhere.  They left two 20 man crews and a couple crawlers to help defend in case the fires jump the lines.  The smoke has cleared.  Still getting a few lightening storms coming through in the evenings, though we have been finally blessed with some rain.  Forest Service is now dealing with the burned timber and trying to harvest it, figuring out how to fix unending miles of fences, and what those that have forest permits are going to do now that this is over.  Several of our neighbors have completely lost their summer grazing grounds.  Cattle are coming off the  forest with burned hinds and hooves.  One neighbor told me lastnight of seeing some deer coming out of the burned area that had some burned hair.  We will overcome this....though Antarctica does sound a bit cooler than Montana at this point, Sandy!  We're headed to the Big Horns for a couple days of R&R tomorrow....Hope that you see the light at the end of the tunnel of smoke soon! 

 

Bill and Jan Stevens

Fort Howes Endurance Rides, Inc.

June 9-10, 2001