Sheriff Fielders advises residents 'be ready to go'

Communication, it has been said, is often the difference between winning a battle and losing.

That was no doubt one of the ideas behind a public meeting this past Sunday afternoon in Plains to discuss and inform area residents of a multiple agency strategy to take on the rapidly growing River Road East Fire that has spread to more than 13,000 acres.

The fire, which began Friday afternoon near the town of Paradise, 6 miles southeast of Plains, was fanned by winds in the 30-40 mph range, with higher gusts. No official cause of the fire has been determined and the fire as of Sunday was zero percent contained.

Those are the things a crowd of around 150 people came to hear about from a group of speakers representing a host of government and non-governmental organizations during a hastily called public meeting held in the new gymnasium at Plains High School.

Sanders County Sheriff Shawn Fielders spoke first, assuring those in attendance that all involved in fighting the blaze that has covered the area with thick, choking smoke, are doing their best to tackle the fire.

“We are doing what we can to let you know what is going on as soon as we know,” Fielders said. “In this case the fire rules and if the wind is blowing things can change very quickly”.

Fielders urged residents to remain calm and vigilant as he addressed concerns about topics from evacuations to property access.

“If we come to your place and tell you a second time it’s time to evacuate, you need to be ready to go,” he said. “Fire is a terrible way to go.”

Fielders, along with a representative from the American Red Cross, provided information about a Red Cross shelter that is set up at the Church on the Move, 300 Clayton Street in Plains, as some residents have begun seeking a place to go after moving out of harm’s way.

Bill Naegeli, head of the Sanders County Office of Emergency Management, said the speed at which the fire spread is one of the main concerns involved.

“A football field is about one acre in size,” Naegeli said. “The winds pushed this fire from about one acre to more than 12,000 in just 12 hours. We have an emergency declaration plan and we are working under that plan. We are just two days into this but we are making progress. Rain is on the way so pray for that and do your rain dance if you have one.”

The prospect of rain was discussed by several meteorology experts who said rain that was forecast to arrive Sunday night will help, but it will not likely be enough to extinguish the fire, which has spread into the steep, rocky mountain slopes surrounding Paradise.

Montana 200, which had been closed for most of the afternoon and evening Friday as the fire grew in size and intensity, was re-opened by Saturday morning. However, no structures within the small unincorporated community had been burned as of Sunday afternoon. Protecting structures, one agency spokesman said, was the main focus in the early stages of defending against the multiple site blaze.

Protecting structures such as the iconic Paradise Community Center, which was once the town’s school house, was established as the first line of defense. And while officials said the fire was listed as 0% contained, help is on the way and on the ground as a growing army of firefighters arrive from throughout the western United States.

“We were on our way to start working on a fire in northeast Washington when we got the call to head to Paradise and Plains,” one official told the crowd. “There are several other fires going on in the region and it has stretched available assets to the limit, making it harder to get what is needed”.

But, he said, help is now arriving and more is on the way.

One of the first lines of defense, the crowd was told, was in the Camas Prairie area where Hot Shot fire crews were working to keep the fire from spreading.

The steep mountainous terrain adds to the problem, they said, as getting at the many spot fires burning in the area is extremely difficult and dangerous.

“The challenges associated with the area’s terrain are a problem,” an official with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation said. “It’s likely we will need to be out there for the foreseeable future”.

Residents who were in attendance were also informed that the cause of the fire is under investigation and no determination has yet been made as to the origin, despite rumors and speculation the blaze was ignited by sparks from a passing train near Paradise.

In closing, officials said that although the fire is not contained, they expect that to change soon as winds calm and moisture arrives, along with a rapidly growing army of firefighters.

More public information meetings will be held in the coming days as needed, they said.