~Fire Updates~

Below is an email from my friend (Tanya) early this morning. Gene is her husband and Bill is the cousin I mentioned trying to save his home on the mountain last night.

Outrageously fierce winds Sunday night and all day yesterday caused an explosion of activity with the fire. Fire crews were called out of (removed from) three divisions in the area of Maloney Mt, Eckler and Cougar Canyon. I can't begin to count the cabins on those mountains AND my cousin's home is on the edge of Cougar Canyon. Fire crews were evacuated....Bill stayed...the crew that had been working on his property all week came back two hours later. Fire was all around them at 11 p.m. last night and we haven't heard any news this morning.

Gene's cows are STILL in the mountain pasture which isn't much of a pasture anymore. The "plan" is to try to call cows out today with a pickup load of hay and "Come Bosssss!" Gene's cows are "trained" to that call...."Come Boss" means "There's better feed waiting for me!" to the cows. Let's hope and pray they are willing and able to travel into and through the "war zone" to get out. We really have no idea how well they will move, especially with calves at their side. He's going to try to get what he can.

The wind is still blowing but not as fiercely.

About 11am

I called a bit ago and Bill is OK and the house is still there. They're still fighting, but feel like it is under control. Had the trucks not come back, there's no way he could have kept at it alone. He was going out to a field to catch his breath, then running back to the house to put out fires, then back to the field. You could only do that so long. I can only imagine his relief when he saw the trucks show back up.

Gene has been at the fire station since 6am hoping to get the cows. I guess everything has to be "official". His chain saw wasn't good enough so he needs and escort w/a "special" saw. He changed plans on roads because of the fire damage last night so that all has to be approved. It's like a military operation. He's having a hard time being patient, but he's lucky they're working with him at all. She was going to call when he got home.

1pm from Tanya:

About 6pm

I called to see if Gene had made it in. He hasn't but had called and said he was able to remove 60 pair of cattle. There are 130 pair still there. He's hoping he can go and try again tomorrow. She said she didn't ask what he'd found as far as cows not doing well.

They haven't heard from Bill all day and are hoping it just means they are successfully fighting the fire and have nothing bad to report. Last I heard the news was saying the fire was only 20% contained.

Thank you for your continued prayers

Firefighter Aaron Norvell grabs a quick nap Tuesday evening, waiting for the approaching wind-whipped flame front to reach him and his fellow crew members from Delta Junction, Alaska, while guarding cabins near Cougar Canyon at the Columbia Complex fire near Dayton. The crew is on its sixth day at the lightning-caused blaze.