Firefighters thanked for their efforts to save Pine cabins

Dear editor:

Based on our peculiar location directly behind a small mountain, a large canyon and a large mountain with a lot of dead trees, live trees and brush, both dead and alive, we were in huge jeopardy as the fire was roaring towards Dog Creek Mountain.

We can't thank all the firefighters enough for saving us and all the cabins and businesses in our area.

Although there wasn't a master game plan in place because this fire happened and spread so fast, the teams in place and coming in started working diligently.

There are so many great stories, I can only use ourselves as an example of what we know. Our Mountain Home Fire Department and whoever their counterparts were encompassed our whole area with water pumpkins and hoses to spare the area. So, due to the moisture being provided and the winds being right, in the middle of the night a team back-burned from right behind our place up the mountains and canyon. A back burn would not have been possible if the areas around cabins had not been prepped, especially in our case where we butt up to the mountains and canyon.

The fire came in so fast and furious that no one could get in to try and save anything from their family homesteads and their heirlooms, etc. We are so heartsick for those on the Fall Creek side, Prairie and Mayfield that lost everything that made their places unique to their families and the tragic loss of their livestock.

Again, thanks to our Mountain Home fireman and the many specialty crews from all over the West that worked tirelessly towards combating these very dangerous fires.

-- John and Sue Gross