TARKIO — On Tuesday, two small fires broke out at the Crystal Springs exit in Mineral County.
But thanks to a quick response, the fires were knocked out in less than an hour after they started.
“One of our members was on her way home from work in Missoula, saw it and notified us before we actually got notified by our dispatch center. We were able to mobilize our troops by the time the paging went out, we had a relatively quick response time,” Craig Usher, Superior Volunteer Fire Department’s chief, said.
Usher is the new chief at Superior Volunteer Fire Department.
He credits fast teamwork for putting out the flames. His department responded along with the Frenchtown Volunteer Fire Department and the Forest Service. Usher says favorable weather also played a big role.
“The area it was burning was mostly green grass and just burning off last year's frost kill. So even though it was moving fast and smoky, it wasn't real deep-seated brush or trees,” Usher said.
Chief Usher says that while the response gives him confidence going into this fire season, there are always unknown factors when it comes to fighting wildfires.
“We always take it cautiously because we never know what Mother Nature is going to give us,” Usher said.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated by the Forest Service, but Chief Usher says that it could have started from typical sources, like a malfunctioning car or from chains that were being dragged.
