WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS — Three homes were lost in Meagher County with wind damage and a structure fire on Wednesday.
According to the Meagher County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, at least 7 different power lines were on the ground and one caused a wildland fire. They also reported that people were hit by flying and fallen debris, resulting in some injuries.
The sheriff’s office advised people to be careful sorting through debris and to watch out for electrical wires that may have been downed in the storm.
Witnesses said a grass fire along Newlan Creek Road caused by downed power lines was quickly dealt with by volunteers, who remained on the scene to stop traffic until the power company could de-energize the power lines across the highway.
A structure fire in town then was reported - the fire was quickly knocked down and most of the damage was kept to the exterior of the residence. Volunteers then responded to remove several trees that had fallen across a county road and a power line. The sheriff added this makes the 12 consecutive month that Meagher County has experienced a wildfire, adding that the area is extremely dry, despite it being winter.
From the Meagher County sheriff Facebook:
“The Sheriff's Office would like to reach out to our community this morning. Yesterday consisted of events, of which we will all feel an impact for months to come.
First and foremost, we would like to thank ALL of our First Responders. Ambulance, Fire and Deputies responded to calls yesterday that were difficult to fathom. We see you. We thank you for all that you do for our community.
Thank you, to Northwestern Energy for your rapid responses yesterday to all of the downed lines and power outages. The office took reports for at least 7 different power lines on the ground across the county, one of which also caused a wildland fire.
There were calls taken because citizens were hit by flying and fallen debris and sustained injuries. There were also other medical calls in between that the ambulance responded to, as well as a structure fire. We are lucky to have so many brave men and women who volunteer and answer the calls to respond to these incidents.
Three different families lost their homes yesterday. We grieve with them during this time. The office contacted outside resources to be able to help them start their recovery. Please, keep all of those who lost their homes or were injured yesterday in your prayers. We are a STRONG community, and we will pull through this together.
We ask everyone to please, stay safe as you sort through debris today to assess damages. Be aware of your surroundings, the weather and shifting/moving debris. Many buildings lost roofs and siding and were even toppled completely over. If you are trying to assess damages, be aware of electrical wires as well.”
Stay Safe Everyone"
