Fire update

Has this suddenly become my personal blog?

I've spent quite a bit of time chasing this fire since Sat., and have had an amazing exerience in doing so. It's sad to know that people have lost their belongings and that stress hangs on all the residents like a yoke. As a result, I've felt strange driving peoples' neighborhoods and roads, attracted to the magnitude of the scene but wary of disturbing them. Needing new ground, I decided being near the fire fighters themselves would be key, but tricky...does one just walk in to a busy, tired camp of workers and say, "Hi, I'm Buck, can I take your picture?" My friend, Reilly, owns the Livingston Weekly and gave me license to use the sweet little rag as means to make the initial approach. In exchange for some words, she's offering me press access...that means photos - sounds good to me.

So, after work on Monday I drove up to the fire camp in a private field between the Emigrant and Dry Creek drainages. As a brand spankin' new reporter, I spoke with several people preparing for ground crew arrival. Bill Bowman, a member of the NW Logistics Section, told me that they're expecting around 300 line fighters by tomorrow - his current goal was getting in a kitchen and more latrines. Around 50 tents had already been set up around the field, but the place was quite deserted. The 15 or so people still tasking around the camp were buzzing with the anticipation of the soon-to-come micro-populous.

I also attended the Emigrant Town Hall meeting, where the Sheriff's Dept., Forest Service and Red Cross gave updates to the general public. It was amazing to see the different states peoples' minds were in...most calm, but some with panic just below their skin. My post yesterday, claiming 6 homes had been lost, was inaccurate - only 4 were destroyed. A deck was cut off to save one home, and some additional outbuildings were also lost. To the credit of the air support I posted photos of previously, dozens of homes have been saved and a successful rescue was made for 6 idiots who decided it would be cool to 4-wheeler around in a raging forest fire. We did get a little rain today, though, and the fire is seemingly headed into the draws behind the next neighborhood to the NE...things might be looking up.

I'm headed back to the camp tomorrow, more updates to come.
CR






Comments

  1. Thanks, Code R., for your excellent reporting. You make a much better reporter than some others we've been following on the internet! And your photos speak volumes. We'll be out there mighty soon and can only hope these poor folks will have their homes back. Keep up the good work!
    Junebug

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  2. Great job Cody. Glad you're safe and helping to tell the story. This is a very big ordeal and undertaking as we can see fromm all the people that are involved. Hope it works out for eveyone.

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