Devastating hurricanes and fires

We have been very fortunate this summer (knock wood) to have missed any kind of major fire in Hot Springs County.

As we watch the devastation of Hurricane Harvey and wait for landfall of Hurricane Irma, let us not forget there are 44 fires burning in our neighboring Montana. Add to that fires burning across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California and its no wonder our skies are smoky.

As of last Friday, there were 106 new fires, including four new large fires. Fifty of those are nowhere close to being contained.

Much is being done for those in Texas inundated with water, but there isn’t a lot of help going toward those suffering from the wildfires torching hundreds of thousands of acres.

More than 4,000 firefighters are on the ground in Montana and two have lost their lives. Having been part of the firefighting family for a good chunk of my life, their safety is always on my mind. In fact, a good friend from Cheyenne is currently on the frontlines in Montana as part of a wildfire suppression team. I check in with his wife periodically and she tells me things are really bad up there.

If you feel compelled to help, look for the 406 Family Aid Foundation or the Garfield County Fire Foundation Relief Fund online. Those are two groups where the aid goes directly to those families and firefighters.