A wildfire which apparently began near the former Great Northern station of Stanton, Montana yesterday, has been pushed by high winds into the town of Denton. This is on the former Milwaukee Road (official name) Northern Montana Division, sometimes known by it's nickname "The North Montana Line". Denton is the headquarters for freight carrier Central Montana Rail, also the operator of the when known Charlie Russell Chew Choo dinner train. Pictures I have seen on line show some of the grain elevators essentially became blowtorches. The railroad's facilities are but a short distance away, just across the tracks. The town has been evacuated and it is unknown how much harm has happened as yet. Sadly, this is not the only ongoing wildfire in that area. https://www.greatfallstribune.com/s...fire-threatens-fergus-county-town/8828838002/ https://www.krtv.com/news/fire-watch/wildfire-forces-evacuation-of-the-town-of-denton https://www.mtpr.org/montana-news/2...alls-browning-prompt-evacuations-and-closures
Holy crap, it's not supposed to be wildfire season anymore. The heavy winds have been wreaking havoc for months.
Sad, I was watching that last night. Those grain elevators have been there since the 1900's, Milwaukee served until 1980. 59 degrees yesterday here in Seattle, never good. We're gonna' need a serious snowpack soon, or we'll have no water. So sad for those towns back there....
I was afraid this would happen: https://www.lewistownnews.com/conte...3OGeSk3JFi5iyj_gNZ0PfYxTBZFpQf0uLim_pZUHFKb0E
Actually it is not unusual for there to be winds and dry over there. There is almost every day at least stiff winds downslope along Highway 2 off Marias Pass. And I have never been in Livingston when there wasn't at least a breeze. Been knocked clear off the road on I-90 in that area. And the area between these two is almost always windy to some extent. Snow is in the forecast starting this weekend, but we shall see what really happens.
Need snow, lot's of it. Some of the videos posted from last night on my Twitter feed are horrible, showing the elevators and the town just ablaze. Tragic, lots of prayers for those people, damn...
Many townsfolk will not be having a good Holiday season. If they did not lose their homes, some lost their businesses or jobs. Now shippers will need to truck to other elevators further away, increasing their operating costs. It is a very poor situation. The Governor was there and promised State support. But what the might be, remains to be seen.
