Wicked Creek fire damage revealed as roads reopen

By TED SULLIVAN Chronicle Staff Writer

PRAY - Twelve days after the Wicked Creek fire forced the closure of the Yellowstone Bible Camp in the Mill Creek drainage, Merle Brockington was setting up curtains and coffeemakers in anticipation of campers returning.

ERIK PETERSEN/CHRONICLE Dan O'Halloran, a sawyer with the Forest Service out of Lake Tahoe, was working Friday to cut down trees that were blackened in the Wicked Creek Fire. Fire crews will spend several days mopping up hot spots and removing dangerous trees near Mill Creek Road. Brockington and her husband, R.L., evacuated 25 people Sunday, Aug. 12, when the wildfire threatened to burn the Bible camp's cabins and lodges. The guests were moved to hotels or homes near Belgrade, where they held activities at the Belgrade Church of Christ.

On Friday, when the public was allowed to return to the evacuated areas along Mill Creek Road up to Snowbank Campground, 70 guests were invited back to the Bible camp for the first time.

“It's good that they are able to come and spend the afternoon here,” Merle Brockington said. “I think it's wonderful.”

Damage from the 26,050-acre Wicked Creek fire was evident in the charred forests surrounding the popular campsites along Mill Creek. One wooden bridge across the creek had to be replaced after it burned. An outhouse was leveled, although the metal toilet remained. And a fire-scarred horse trailer was parked on the side of the road.

“It's kind of sad. From the time I was a kid, from when I can remember, I went camping up here,” Park County Rural Fire District Capt. Dann Babcox said, pointing to an area off the creek that had burned up.

“I love that campsite right there. You have little calm pools and some falls,” he said.

Then he pointed to an unscathed building surrounded by scorched forest. “There's no reason that cabin should be there right now,” Babcox said.

Apparently, the fire shifted just in time to spare the structure, he said.

Although the area up to Snowbank Campground was reopened, the road past the campground can be accessed only by residents who have an escort.

Many residents in the drainage, however, signed a waiver and never left after they were asked to evacuate, opting instead to stay with their property and help fight the fire.

About seven miles up Mill Creek Road, U.S. Forest Service workers were using chain saws to cut down burned trees before they fell and hurt someone or something.

A few hot spots and small smoke columns were still visible from the road.

Karen Tuscano, a Forest Service spokeswoman, said firefighting teams will be assigned to the area until the snow flies in September or October. She said teams will continue cutting weakened trees near roads and patrolling for hot spots.

Workers also will begin rehabilitation work, such as building barriers to protect the road from mudslides and planting crops to nurture the soil, Tuscano said.

Meanwhile, officials want to spend time educating residents in the area about evacuation plans and precautions they can take to protect their homes from future fires, Babcox said.

Prevention could include adding sprinkler systems or cutting timber near homes.

“There's still a lot of threats out here,” Babcox said. “There's plenty of fuel left in Mill Creek.”

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