Montanans, Is it true the Feds stopped local ranchers from organizing their own fire fighting efforts in some places?
It’s been reported that if you try to do anything for yourself, they’ll withhold services from you this time or the next time. They’ve gotcha by the short ‘n curlies. You don’t mess with these power monkeys. If you complain, they put your name on the list.
They (the Feds) did that here (North Dakota) during a praire fire in the national grasslands (Interspersed Federal and private ownership), so it would not surprise me. The feds were blocking access roads, but the ranchers knew how to get around the feds (geographically) and did it anyway.
The fire burned a strip about 20 miles wide and 30 miles long, but the ranchers saved their homes and outbuildings (on private land) for the most part.
It is much easier to get around in shortgrass prairie country than it is in the hills and woods around Helena.