The great smoky roadblocks: Flathead County deputies work overtime on fire duty

By NICHOLAS LEDDEN

The Daily Inter Lake

As area wildfires have expanded during the past month, Flathead County sheriff's deputies have been working overtime to protect people and property.

Deputies have logged more than 2,700 hours of overtime during the past three weeks while they operate roadblocks, evacuate homeowners threatened by fires and run extra patrols to protect property after people have left.

"We have a bunch of dedicated deputies who are willing to do that on their time off," said Flathead County Undersheriff Pete Wingert, who was on a roadblock until 1 a.m. Friday.

Deputy Kirby Adams worked 28 hours on roadblocks last week, he said, plus his regular 40 hours of county patrol work.

"Sometimes the nights get pretty long," he said.

Sheriff Mike Meehan also has been taking shifts on the roadblocks, in addition to public meetings and information sessions with fire officials.

"In the last 25 days, I'll be lucky if I've made minimum wage," Meehan said with a laugh. Meehan, who works on a salary based on a 40-hour week, will take another roadblock shift tonight.

Sheriff's Office personnel are now staffing five roadblocks - on Hubbart Dam Road, Red Gate Road, Griffin Creek Road and Star Meadow Road - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They also are patrolling the evacuated areas of Star Meadow near the Brush Creek Fire and Hubbart Dam near the Chippy Creek Fire.

Deputies work the roadblocks in 12-hour shifts, and almost all the deputies in the department have been stationed at one at some point or another, Wingert said.

Some 23 houses in the Hubbart Dam area have been evacuated, as have about 60 in the Star Meadow neighborhood. Between 35 and 40 houses in the Good Creek area are on a 12-hour evacuation notice should the Brush Creek Fire reach the trigger point.

The roadblocks and patrols are "necessary for the safety of the firefighters and for the protection of peoples' homes," Meehan said.

They are also meant to protect an inquisitive public.

"People can drive right into a very dangerous situation both for themselves and for the firefighters in nothing flat," Meehan said. "The roadblocks are meant mainly to keep the sightseers out. As long as there's an issue with the public entering into restricted areas, we will be there."

People who live in evacuated areas, however, are allowed through the roadblocks.

All that overtime has cost the Sheriff's Office more than $95,000.

However, the Sheriff's Office will be reimbursed by the U.S. Forest Service. But Sheriff's Office overtime is a drop in a bucket compared to the overall amount of money spent fighting the Brush Creek and Chippy Creek fires - more than $15 million.

Despite all the extra work being thrown its way, the Sheriff's Office has maintained normal patrol levels.

"It really doesn't affect the number of deputies we have on the street," Meehan said.

Regulations require that each deputy have a minimum of eight hours off after working at a fire roadblock or patrolling evacuated neighborhoods. That means they can only work on the fires on their days off.

Deputies, typically in teams of five, also go door to door when an evacuation has been ordered. Evacuation orders aren't legally binding, and residents aren't forced to leave.

The Brush Creek Fire has laid down during the past few days, so a number of the people evacuated from Star Meadow have returned to their homes, Meehan said. But if the fire suddenly flared up and made a run in that direction, deputies would be back in the neighborhood, knocking on doors.

If people are determined to stay in their homes in an evacuated area, the Sheriff's Office asks them who their dentists are so they can identify bodies if the fire causes casualties.

"It's for in a worst-case scenario," Meehan said. "It's not to scare them, but it is something we feel is necessary."

It's also a way to determine who exactly is left and where they are, he added.

"Both of these fires are still very dangerous," Meehan said. "We don't want people to develop a false sense of security."

Firefighters and the public alike have been appreciative of the level of service provided by sheriff's deputies, Wingert said.

"We're grateful to the dedicated group we have here," he said. "But pray for rain … without lightning."

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com