simme
Old Dumb Guy
NOTE: This is something I saw while on vacation. Not my equipment or property.
Several years ago, my wife and I were on vacation in early August and stayed a few days in a cabin south of Darby, Montana.
On Sunday morning, we went for a drive south to Salmon, Idaho for lunch. On the way back just before the turnoff to our cabin, I noticed that a guy was cutting "hay". It was a lot of dry stems with some green near the ground. Then I noticed a small spot with smoke rising. I could not see any flames. The guy on the tractor turned and I assumed was going to address the issue. But then he high tailed it to the other end of the field. I believe he could have just stomped it out. I considered going out and doing just that, but it was across a ditch and a barbed wire fence and the roadside was grown up. I decided to watch. He drove the tractor and mower to a little high spot that looked rocky or at least gravel. He went and moved the other tractor and baler to the same spot. The fire was getting bigger, but was moving pretty slow. The field was mostly level.
There was a driveway along the end of the field that went to some barns/sheds on the back side of the hay field. Behind the field was a steep hill with dry brush/grass. After about 20 to 30 minutes, the local fire department showed up. I thought they would take care of the problem. I expected them to drive into the field and put water on the burning edge of the fire. It was still fairly small and spreading slowly. Instead, they drove down the driveway to the barns to set up their line of defense there. Fire is getting bigger now. It was a good distance from where we were parked to the barns, so I could not see everything they were doing. But, after a while the fire was at the barns, then past the barns and on the hill. As soon as the fire hit the hill, it went up the hill very fast and then over the hill. Our cabin was over that hill a mile or so.
Soon we had a helicopter with a dump belly and suction hose pulling water from an adjacent pond and dumping on the fire. Also had a larger plane dumping water. I was later told that the plane came from Missoula and had to return there to refill.
There was also this little spotter plane circling that I assume was directing the whole thing.
They saved one barn.
The other barns were destroyed.
Burned to the edge of the tractors.
Fire over the hill at this point.
This is where it started. They are investigating after it was over.
I still believe that the guy could have stomped that little fire out when he first saw it. It made the newspaper the next day. The owner of the cabin said the guy would get a bill for the planes and helicopter.
Several years ago, my wife and I were on vacation in early August and stayed a few days in a cabin south of Darby, Montana.
On Sunday morning, we went for a drive south to Salmon, Idaho for lunch. On the way back just before the turnoff to our cabin, I noticed that a guy was cutting "hay". It was a lot of dry stems with some green near the ground. Then I noticed a small spot with smoke rising. I could not see any flames. The guy on the tractor turned and I assumed was going to address the issue. But then he high tailed it to the other end of the field. I believe he could have just stomped it out. I considered going out and doing just that, but it was across a ditch and a barbed wire fence and the roadside was grown up. I decided to watch. He drove the tractor and mower to a little high spot that looked rocky or at least gravel. He went and moved the other tractor and baler to the same spot. The fire was getting bigger, but was moving pretty slow. The field was mostly level.
There was a driveway along the end of the field that went to some barns/sheds on the back side of the hay field. Behind the field was a steep hill with dry brush/grass. After about 20 to 30 minutes, the local fire department showed up. I thought they would take care of the problem. I expected them to drive into the field and put water on the burning edge of the fire. It was still fairly small and spreading slowly. Instead, they drove down the driveway to the barns to set up their line of defense there. Fire is getting bigger now. It was a good distance from where we were parked to the barns, so I could not see everything they were doing. But, after a while the fire was at the barns, then past the barns and on the hill. As soon as the fire hit the hill, it went up the hill very fast and then over the hill. Our cabin was over that hill a mile or so.
Soon we had a helicopter with a dump belly and suction hose pulling water from an adjacent pond and dumping on the fire. Also had a larger plane dumping water. I was later told that the plane came from Missoula and had to return there to refill.
There was also this little spotter plane circling that I assume was directing the whole thing.
They saved one barn.
The other barns were destroyed.
Burned to the edge of the tractors.
Fire over the hill at this point.
This is where it started. They are investigating after it was over.
I still believe that the guy could have stomped that little fire out when he first saw it. It made the newspaper the next day. The owner of the cabin said the guy would get a bill for the planes and helicopter.
