Fire response was impressive success

When we first heard the scanner call for the fire at the Plum Creek fiberboard plant in Columbia Falls on June 10, we were frankly horrified.

We’d heard there was an explosion and fire, and that initial call said that 60 workers were unaccounted for. We scrambled to cover the story, but more importantly the Flathead Valley’s emergency apparatus scrambled to handle the potential disaster.

Nearly 70 responders from 14 different emergency agencies joined the battle against the massive fire. We have to second the sentiments of Columbia Falls fire chief Rick Hagen, who called the mutual aid system in the Flathead Valley “outstanding” and said, “Everybody pitched in and we all worked together well.”

That is great news. Even better news was that in this case, there were no fatalities, and indeed no casualties. To anyone who saw the pictures of the fire, it borders on the miraculous.

Adding to the happy outcome was the news that the plant could reopen in as little as a month. Good job all around.

River regulations are stretch

The pursuit of a regulation that would have banned motorized watercraft on a stretch of the Whitefish River has been stalled, and it’s not clear that it will ever come to pass.

That’s because the city of Whitefish’s petition for the regulation has the appearance of seeking a solution to problems that don’t exist, while taking away access to the river that some people have long enjoyed.

City officials can make the claim that there is potential for people to violate a no-wake rule that has been in place on the river since the 1980s, but Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials say they can’t recall boating problems ever being reported on the river.

Those considerations may have come into play as the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission recently rejected the regulation on a 2-2 vote.

In this case, it appears the pursuit of a paddle-only stretch of river, with the exception of electric motors, is partly motivated by a desire to bolster Whitefish’s eco-groovy image.

It certainly doesn’t compare to the conflicts and problems that have arisen between users on other Montana waters, such as Echo Lake, which have prompted the lengthy and time-consuming rule-making process that is being used by Fish, Wildlife and Parks in this case. And this process is not finished: The commission will consider a compromise regulation, with a seasonal restriction on motorized watercraft, in the months to come.

Braves score off the field

Flathead Braves football players donned their jerseys recently and teamed up for a decidedly non-football cause: They helped an elderly  Kalispell man move to Polson when his original plans fell through.

The youth moving brigade, involving new coach Kyle Sampson and 10 of this players, is part of a new initiative to get the team involved in community service

“If we’re going to be really good on the football field, we’re going to be good off the field,” Sampson said.

That’s a good start for the next chapter in the Braves’ football history.

Editorials represent the majority opinion of the Daily Inter Lake’s editorial board.