| On Friday
afternoon people with firecrackers started a forest fire at the end of Idlers Rest Road
right behind our home. A neighbor, Gary
Meyers, heard
the firecrackers and saw the smoke in the trees and phoned 911 within
seconds. Extremely dry conditions and 94 F temperatures created the
potential for a catastrophe. Fortunately, the helicopters stationed at the
Flannigan Creek fire on the other side of Moscow Mountain responded
immediately. Moscow Rural Fire Department, Idaho Department of Lands, Nez Perce hot shot crews, and a crew and bulldozer from Bennett Lumber Company,
in all some 50 firefighters, were on the scene within 20 minutes. The three
helicopters dipped water from several nearby neighbors' ponds and made about
80 water dumps (350 gallons each weighing 1.5 tons). Without their precision
dumping on flaming trees, the fire would quickly have become a crown fire
and spread across the Moscow Mountain. In addition, two slurry bombers were called
in to dump six loads of fire retardant. The place looked like a war zone. Fortunately,
all seven residences at the end of Idlers Rest Road were saved by everyone's
valiant efforts. People we don't even know fought the fire for 5 hours and contained it to only
two acres of trees consumed by fire. The fire came within 30 feet of our wood shed,
but nothing was damaged. We are extremely grateful for the many, many people
who helped to fight this fire.
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