Five Years Later, Lessons From the Bridger Foothills Fire Still Guides Montana Firefighters

Five years later, lessons from the Bridger Foothills Fire still guides Montana firefighters

BOZEMAN - Five years later, new trees and greenery hide most signs of the Bridger Foothills Firea more than 8,000-acre blaze that left a lasting impact on the Bozeman community."Its one of those things where we try to prepare and train for the worst, and it came very close to what we saw that day," says Hyalite Fire District Chief Brian Nickolay.He responded to the Bridger foothills fire as a deputy fire warden five years ago."You know, the firs…

Local wildfire photographer to release photobook inspired by Bridger Foothills Fire

After witnessing the aftermath of the Bridger Foothills Fire firsthand, one local photographer, Jessica Hays, was inspired to create a book showing how destructive wildfires can be and the impact of climate change.The Earth was just completely blackened after the fire, said Jessica Hays, as she showed a photo she took of the fire.Hays is a lifelong Bozeman resident, teacher at Bozeman High School, and longtime photographer. When I was majoring i…

Five years after the fire: Survival, loss and renewal in Bridger Canyon after the Foothills blaze

For Sharon Davis, who’d lived in the canyon seasonally since the late 1990s, that day is etched just as deeply as the scars on the land.