salmonchaser
Handloader
- Dec 13, 2013
- 4,974
- 4,911
I know three families, ranchers, near Baker and Huntington Oregon that were impacted by the 280000 acre fire over the last two weeks. Two of the three likely will not survive the disaster. In truth I’ve only met one of those families a few times while visiting the others I’ve known for more than 20 years. While most of their cattle survived due to heroic efforts by cowboys, cowgirls and firefighters running and riding in front of a twenty mile wall of flames, cutting fences and pushing the cattle north onto interstate 84. those I know don’t have a blade of grass left. Imagine owning 20,000 or 40,000 acres, homesteaded by your great grandfather and not having enough grass to keep a rabbit alive. They lost their hay sheds, barns, thousands of miles of fencing, pump houses, irrigation systems, bunk houses and tac rooms and equipment. The family we’ve hunted with have sold all the cattle that survived. They wished someone would teach the BLM to drop retardant on the barn and equipment shed as they are much more valuable than the house.
They knew trouble was coming, tractors and dozers had been staged, a watch system in place before the lightning storm that started the fire. The initial start of the Durkee fire was contained by a couple of ranchers and their cowboys to about 200 acres, reportedly they were right proud of themselves. Then the BLM showed up, instead of fighting the fire that had been surrounded by disked or dozed ground, they, the BLM, started a back burn. There are slightly different stories from three different families but all generally agree that at that point threats may have emerged, pissed off ranchers vs federal law enforcement. Regardless there was no time for fist t cuffs because the Back burn immediately got away from the BLM and a 200 acre fire became a 280,000 acre fire. The folks don’t blame the fire fighters, but they are sure pissed off at the management who simply followed protocol.
They knew trouble was coming, tractors and dozers had been staged, a watch system in place before the lightning storm that started the fire. The initial start of the Durkee fire was contained by a couple of ranchers and their cowboys to about 200 acres, reportedly they were right proud of themselves. Then the BLM showed up, instead of fighting the fire that had been surrounded by disked or dozed ground, they, the BLM, started a back burn. There are slightly different stories from three different families but all generally agree that at that point threats may have emerged, pissed off ranchers vs federal law enforcement. Regardless there was no time for fist t cuffs because the Back burn immediately got away from the BLM and a 200 acre fire became a 280,000 acre fire. The folks don’t blame the fire fighters, but they are sure pissed off at the management who simply followed protocol.
