Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” – 9/7/20
The Bridger Foothills Fire reached peak activity on Saturday, Sept. 5 when the fire, fueled by high winds, low humidity and high temperatures, grew from 400 to 7,000 acres in just a few hours. A firefighter shelter is a safety device of last resort used by wildland firefighters when they become trapped by wildfires. While such a shelter cannot withstand sustained contact with flames, it can protect a firefighter’s life when the fire becomes unpredictable and there is no escape route until help arrives or the fire passes. A spokesperson for the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation confirmed the use of emergency shelters, noting that the fire at points burned directly over them. After the fire had passed, the firefighters were able to safely walk out of the fire area and were transported to Bozeman Health for further medical evaluation.
