Garfield County resilient in face of flames

POMEROY––The spirit of a community can never be seen more clearly than when it is tested.

When the Dan/Lower Granite Fire threatened the northeastern part of Garfield County on Monday, July 29, local citizens rallied. In conjunction with Garfield County Fire District No. 1, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, and the County Road Crew, farmers and neighbors fought to save homes and historical structures with water trucks, tractors, discs, chainsaws, sprinklers, and even rakes and shovels. Assistance also came from the Department of Natural Resources as well as two super-scooper airplanes and a helicopter. “The air support made all the difference,” Tai Bye stated.

Farmers brought their intimate knowledge of the land to the fight as well as their equipment, as they battled flames that at times reached 25 feet into the air. They disked fire lines, at times racing to stay ahead of the flames. Wyatt Koller suffered burns when the engine of the tractor he was operating caught on fire.

Neighbors also gave each other assistance in evacuating. “I was just numb. It was scary,” Julie Fitzgerald said. Her home was among those threatened by the fire. “It’s because of a lot of people that our house was saved. The DNR, County people, farmers and neighbors,” Fitzgerald said.

“It’s funny where your mind goes at a time like that,” Bye said about choosing what to take when evacuating while the flames were within sight of her house. She recalled passing boxes to neighbors who helped her to evacuate. Residents whose homes were not threatened offered shelter to evacuees, as well as food and space for animals.

A watch was kept throughout Monday night to put out hotspots as they popped up. The Northeast Washington Incident Management Team Type 3 Team 1 took command Tuesday morning at 10:00.