River Road East Fire rages

Steady rain on Monday was a welcome sign for firefighters battling the River Road East Fire in Paradise. A crew of nearly 400 personnel with the Northern Rockies Incident Team is now managing the wildfire, which ignited Friday near the intersection of River Road East and Highway 200 just outside the town of Paradise.

As of press time Tuesday evening, the fire had grown to 16,790 acres with no containment. Sheriff Shawn Fielders stated that as of Tuesday afternoon, 50 structures had been confirmed destroyed in the fire, including 13 residences and an iconic barn along Highway 200 at Kennedy Creek just east of Paradise.

Fire officials held a public meeting at Plains High School on Sunday afternoon, updating the community on fire activity. While a press release from the Lolo National Forest on Friday afternoon stated that the fire was caused by lightning, officials at the meeting on Sunday said the cause is still under investigation. Ranger Dave Wrobleski with the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District stated that the fire started on the east end of Paradise, near the intersection of River Road East and Highway 200.

James Russell with the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District said the first page for his department came in about 1:23 p.m. Friday afternoon. The fire was first reported at five acres, then 50, and by late afternoon had grown to more than 500 acres with hot, dry winds carrying burning embers. Several spot fires ignited on both sides of the river and north in the McLaughlin Creek area. "It was a complex, dynamic incident from the beginning," he said.

As the initial commander for the response, Russell said the first priority was keeping people safe. "We wanted to make sure people were safe and then immediately went into structure protection when the fire was several acres in size," Russell stated. "Initially we prioritized River Road East, then transitioned to Tie Plant Road on the town side." As the fire expanded, agencies continued structure protection for the town of Paradise, the Paradise School, the structures along the highway, and the McLaughlin Creek area as the fire spread. "We tried to get people evacuated if they need to leave and make sure we aren't putting ourselves in undo danger, which on a day like Friday is pretty much impossible," Russell said.

The sheriff's office worked to safely evacuate the town of Paradise and surrounding area on Friday. Fielders said he was dumbfounded with how fast the fire moved and said the mutual aid between agencies was phenomenal. He said his staff stepped up and immediately started charging up the hill to knock on doors and get people out of the McLaughlin Creek area.

Sheriff Fielders said Tuesday afternoon that some residents were allowed back to their properties briefly on Tuesday, but that it was important for people to adhere to area closures so that fire personnel could work effectively. Fielders stated that there had not yet been any reports of injuries or missing people.

Bill Naegeli with the Sanders County Office of Emergency Management stated that during the initial response on Friday, every fire department in the county had at least one apparatus or engine in Paradise to help protect structures. He noted that fire departments from neighboring counties also responded.

"The monumental effort that our firefighters invested along with all of the other agencies was pivotal to the effort," Russell expressed. "The sheriff's office and dispatchers did a phenomenal job. Sheriff Fielders and emergency manager Bill Naegeli arrived in Paradise and immediately went to work." Russell also noted that homeowners and community members helped with the initial attack. "It was an all out effort by the entire community," he said, adding that several community members gathered at the Paradise Center to help protect the old school building that now houses a museum and event center.

Russell commended all of the agencies involved, stating that they had personnel and vehicles from Plains-Thompson Falls Ranger District, Superior Ranger District, Plains City Fire, Thompson Falls City and Rural fire districts, and the Trout Creek, Noxon, Heron and Hot Springs, Superior and St. Regis fire departments, as well as a task force of engines from Lake County. Montana Department of Transportation was also quick to respond and help in the effort, he said. Russell added that Plains-Paradise Rural Fire sent six engines and 15 firefighters, and with the help of other town and rural departments in the region, by Friday evening there were 33 engines and 65 firefighters.

Russell stressed the exceptional, seamless cooperation between the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District, the Forest Service, state Department of Natural Resources and the agencies who responded. "The phenomenal coordination between our forest department, the Forest Services, the state and all of the county resources that came from Sanders, Mineral and Lake counties was pivotal for the outcome we had. Our firefighters put their years of training and investment to the test and their efforts paid off," he expressed.

Dozens of rail cars sitting in Paradise were moved west to Plains as a precaution. Andy Garland with Montana Rail Link said the rail company was notified of the fire Friday afternoon and immediately deployed personnel and resources to the scene to assist local first responders. "The impact to rail service has been limited to this point and we will continue to closely monitor the situation and communicate with local first responders and authorities," Garland stated.

A Northern Rockies Incident Management Team took over firefighting operations Saturday evening. Incident Commander Brent Olson said that the fire is "very close" to Pat's Knob on the southwest side and crews are working to protect the communication towers on top of the mountain. "We feel like we're doing everything we can," Olson said, adding that a Wyoming Hotshot crew has worked to clear trees in the area and planes dropped retardant around the towers. Naegeli said it would be catastrophic to the county if the fire reached the communication towers. "It's a key communication hub for Mineral and Sanders counties," Naegeli stated. He noted that protecting the area is one of the top priorities for the firefighting team.

Naegeli also noted that it was a phenomenal effort to get a Type I incident management team on site in three days. "Members of the team were out there helping fight the fire before they even took over," Naegeli explained. "We're very blessed they got here in three days." Olson said the team was headed to northern Idaho to manage the Ridge Creek Fire and were redirected to the River Road East Fire.

Jessica and Michael Guciardo lost their home in the McLaughlin Creek area. "Our house is gone," Jessica Guciardo said Sunday. "We had no warning. Everything is gone." They have owned their property on Upper Lamaraux Creek Road in Paradise for about 10 years, she said, and lived there for three. "We couldn't see the fire but we saw smoke and left. We only had about 20 minutes. We took some clothes and our dogs," she explained. Jessica added that they found out her home had burned because her husband went through a police barricade to check on their property. She said Michael was arrested but was later released. Jessica said she even lost her wedding rings in the wildfire. Guciardo encouraged other people to be prepared in case their property is threatened by fire. "Pack and be ready to go." While the Guciardos are staying with a friend and have reached out to the Red Cross for support, "we just want to go home," she said.

Sheriff Fielders addressed the more than 200 people at the public meeting on Sunday. "The community has really stepped up for displaced people and animals," he said, asking people to be patient as authorities work to assess damage and protect structures. Fielders asked that people stay away from the fire area. "Please don't go out just to see the fire. The traffic hazard alone can be really bad." Residents from the McLaughlin Creek area who have been evacuated asked the sheriff when they would be able to return to their homes. Fielders said they will let residents know as soon as they can. "McLaughlin Creek is a nightmare. It breaks my heart that I can't let you up there," he expressed.

Dan Gorham lives between the railroad tracks and the Clark Fork River in Paradise. Friday after the fire started, he had a sprinkler going on a woodpile near his house and an outbuilding. He was also working to wet down dry grass in the area. Suddenly, Gorham turned around and grass just outside the reach of his house caught fire. The strong winds pushed the fire toward Gorham's neighbor's house. At the same time, two grass fires started about 100 yards from him as Forest Service firefighters were approaching with water.

Quinn's Resort just outside of Paradise made the decision on Friday to evacuate and close for the evening, General Manager Denise Moreth said. The resort remains in pre-evacuation status but they have been approved to remain open, their website states.

Governor Greg Gianforte on Monday announced the State of Montana secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from FEMA to assist with costs associated with fighting the River Road East Fire.

The FMAG makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state's eligible firefighting costs. Eligible costs include materials and supplies, mobilization and demobilization, equipment use, and expenses for field camps.

On Monday, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced that portions of the Clark Fork and Flathead rivers were closed, as well as access sites, due to fire activity.

The American Red Cross has set up a shelter at Church on the Move in Plains. The Red Cross had volunteers ready to arrive in Sanders County to provide aid with the fire disaster that began on Friday. Susy Rodreguez from Miami said she was called last Tuesday to be ready to leave Florida days before the River Road East fire began. Matt Ochsner from Great Falls said that the Red Cross works closely with county officials and checks in with them regularly. They are prepared to respond quickly to potential emergencies. The units provide shelter in predetermined locations such as Church on the Move in Plains. Besides meals and a place to sleep, volunteers are there to listen to people's concerns and offer medical assistance and help them to connect with community resources. The shelter is pet friendly. Ochsner said they do not want to separate people from their family pets in these situations.

"We do lots of on-line training to be shelter providers and associates," said volunteer Eunice Mennenoh from. She and Rodreguez are happy to be here in Montana to help out. They, along with Shelter Supervisor Debbie Schaefer, are included in the 90% of volunteers that make up the Red Cross workforce, according to Ochsner.

"One of our Montana volunteers is currently in Hawaii working," Ochsner said. The most common disasters in Montana are house fires. Communities and the Red Cross work together to meet the most immediate needs of the hundreds of disasters that occur, Ochsner added.

Scott Fairfield is the Lincoln and Sanders county disaster coordinator. "I am here locally to help my neighbors," Fairfield said. The Sanders County fairgrounds is also open for evacuees, and Naegeli stated that the Mineral County fairgrounds has offered to take stock animals from residents.

Russell said his department is still involved with the structure protection group and will maintain that for the foreseeable future.

Olson said the incident team is self-sufficient and does not need donations. Naegeli recommended that if people want to help they could make donations to local fire departments and organizations such as food banks. The county utilizes the Hyper-Reach alert system to notify residents of disasters in the area, and Naegeli recommended people sign up online or through the app to ensure they get the latest alerts.

RIVER ROAD EAST FIRE INFORMATION

Website: inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mtlnf-river-road-east-fire

Facebook: /www.facebook.com/riverroadeastfire

Hyper Reach alert system: hyper-reach.com

Reporters Ed Moreth and Shannon Brown contributed to this article.