Scary Times In Montana...

[Al Agnew]

My wife and I are staying up late tonight, waiting for her sister to call with the latest news. She is staying at our Montana house this week on her vacation, and she called earlier this evening to tell us that there's rapidly expanding fire within less than a mile from our house out there. I was never worried about fire taking our house, because the river is on one side and there are big, irrigated fields and a road on the other side. But this fire started earlier today in the dry, grass and juniper covered hills in back of the irrigated fields, and it spread very quickly in hot, very dry, windy weather. It has come down the hills into some houses at the base of the hills, and the residences in the area, including ours, are under a "be ready to evacuate" order. So Tina is packing everything valuable that she can fit in our truck, turned on our sprinkler system, and is watching the fire. Latest word from her is that the fire seems to be moving more sideways than toward us at this point. She sent pictures from her cell phone showing the fire coming down the hills at dusk. Pretty scary. I'm still fairly confident that the house will be okay, but it's worrisome. We're heading out there real soon, but wish we were there now.

[mic]

Good luck brother.

[Wayne SW/MO]

It sounds like your house will be easy to defend if there isn't a shortage of fire fighters. Hopefully that is the case.

[Al Agnew]

Everything is okay...figured it would be, but you never know. Apparently the wind shifted and the fire stopped at the edge of the irrigated fields and went off down the valley instead of across it to us. Good thing about it is that it "lit a fire" under our butts to document all the stuff that we would have had to claim for insurance purposes!

[P_L]

Hate to hear of things like this. Glad you were spared, hope your neighbors are all safe and sound too. I had an insurance man tell me to get a video cam and do a walk through of the house. Might be easier than making a list too.