While I was working on Sep 3, a fire broke out just west of our town and ended up jumping the interstate and growing to an 800 acre fire by the end of my 8-hour-turned-14-hour shift that night. My friend Jill and I dispatched the fire together all night which was absolutely CRAZY! The fire caused an interstate closure for three hours and also the alternate route on Hwy 10 for a while. We had also evacuated people from two subdivisions early in the night. I've dispatched fires before, but this one really was intense because it was so close to town.
As of today, two days later, the over 1,000 acre fire, caused by a power line, is now partially contained due to all the county's firefighting resources along with state resources which include retardant bombers and helicopters. The fire continues to burn but is not growing. A few of these photos were taken by myself the morning after the fire started. The rest I got from law enforcement and media.
The smoke right in town was pretty bad for a while.
My friend Gary blocking the I-90 onramp with his patrol car.
Hundreds of people were evacuated.
A bomber dropping retardant.
Ash on my vehicle.
A view from the already burnt side of the interstate the next morning.
Where the fire originated.
Helicopters dipped into the Yellowstone River to drop water on the fire.
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