SOUTHEAST MONTANA — A group of over 60 volunteers came together to help put up fencing and replace posts for ranchers affected by the Remington fire.
Nearly 200,000 acres of land were burned in the fire that ripped through southeast Montana in August, much of it being for farm and ranching. Many ranchers lost hundreds of miles of fencing and livestock in the flames, and it will take years to fully recover. With the remaining cattle, ranchers still need a place to keep them, but replacing fencing can be a daunting task. Rancher Heather Herman decided to do something to help.
“So many of these places, it burned right up to their houses, so when they look outside, that's all they see is black, and that's really hard," said Herman.
She's seen how fires have devastated property owners. Her aunt and uncle's ranch land was completely lost this year but luckily were able to save their house. Herman even experienced something similar in a fire years ago.
“Back in 2012, we had a pretty devastating fire come through us, so we understood what it's like to recover from a fire like this," said Herman.
As she knows recovery is no easy task, she decided to organize a fencing drive for those in the fire's direct path. She put the invitation out on Facebook but never expected the overwhelming response.
"Many people, we didn't know. They aren't super local people. We had people just come from all over to help. We sent out probably 60 people yesterday and another about 60 today," said Herman. “Just the amount that people were able to get done yesterday blew everyone's mind. I was very, very shocked and very thankful.”
The volunteers assisted ten ranches in Powder River and Big Horn counties, meeting at the OW Ranch near Decker. All of the supplies needed were donated. Some who were not able to attend the event gave food or money to go towards the cause.
Some of the volunteers had also seen firsthand what the fire had destroyed, especially those who helped fight it. Anthony Delaney was helping reline fencing and said he was on the front lines trying to stop it when it crossed the Montana state line from Wyoming.
“We got trapped in the fire at one point, me and my wife did, and that was pretty scary," said Delaney. "I never want to be in that situation ever again."
Delaney is a rancher in the area himself but volunteered his time to help those around him who were in dire need.
“This ain't our land, but it's our neighbors and I feel like he needed a lot more help than what we needed," said Delaney.
John Olsen is the Powder River County commissioner and also owns a fencing company. He helped with the fencing efforts and knows just how tedious the process can be, but he was more than willing to assist.
“It's long progress. It's going to take them three to four or five years to get what they need done really,” said Olsen. “I got stuck yesterday with a good group of neighbors and our vets, so it was a fun day. Had to do a little bit of grunt work, but it was still fun," said Olsen.
The fencing drive only made a small dent into the future work ahead for ranchers, but Herman wanted to create a starting point for them.
“This is just showing them that the community is here for them. Give them some hope. It gives them something positive to look out and see opposed to just all this devastation," said Herman.
The fire’s burn scar left a long road to recovery, but for these ranchers, the help from neighbors can make it easier to ride out.
“We just live in a great community that helps people in need, so that's what I like, small town, big heart,” said Olsen.
There is an account set up for funds towards those affected by the fire at Opportunity Bank of Montana. To donate, checks can be sent to PO Box 368 in Ashland, MT, 59003, and made out to Benefit Remington Fire.
