Firefighters save animal shelter

A fire sparked by a Pablo downed power line forced volunteers to evacuate 45 Mission Valley Animal Shelter adoptable pets at 4:30 p.m. Friday. 

Jill Simpson, Mission Valley Animal Shelter director said the shelter was in serious danger, but thanks to the cooperation and quick response of Ronan, Polson and CSKT fire crews, tragedy was averted.

The fire began behind the Mission Valley Animal Shelter on N. Reservoir Road and burned about 30 acres.

The fire was on a direct path to consume the shelter.

At one point the fire charred ground ten feet from an open yard where shelter dogs play.

Simpson said the fire burned quickly. 

 “It was a miracle,” she said. “I truly thought I might lose some dogs.”

Simpson said that the time of the fire people started driving up to the shelter, offering help take in the dogs and cats for the night.

Luckily, Simpson said, the shelter was prepared; she followed the evacuation plan for emergencies.

“You have to have a plan,” she said. The evacuation plan included numbered crates for the animals so she could keep track and account for every animal.

“I just had to take a deep breath,” she said. “And trust we’d all get them to safety for the night.”

Simpson said people started showing up to the shelter asking, “How can we help?” She directed them to help construct the numbered crates for the dogs and cats.

Most of the burned grassland was on the northern property behind the shelter belonging to Treasure State Concrete, near the old railroad tracks.

Smoke quickly filled the area the fire burned with heavy winds Friday afternoon.

Don Bell, Lake County Sheriff said all of the agencies were working together to put the fire out, which included watering the grounds directly behind the shelter and along the property lines of Treasure State Concrete.

Officials at Treasure State Concrete opened the gates to the burning area so fire trucks could maneuver around the area.

“We’re glad all of the departments are working together to put this fire out,” Bell said.

Bell said before crews could attend to the downed power line, they first needed to extinguish the fire.

“We can’t spray water there because the line is still active,” Bell said. “Mission Valley Power is cutting the power so the line is grounded.”

MVP workers used a truck and hoisted crow’s nest to cut the power. Fire crews focused on controlling the fire and ultimately extinguishing the flames.

Wildfires have been popping up everywhere the past couple of weeks in Lake County and the Flathead Reservation, calling into service many fire agencies to respond quickly to contain and control the blazes – and work together in many cases – firefighters were able to save the shelter from being burned.

As for the animals that were rescued by the kindness of strangers, all animals were returned. Some volunteers considered adopting some of the animals, but unfortunately most of the people that took in the animals already had pets.

Simpson closed the shelter on Saturday to clean up any affected areas.

Even the animals are returning to normalcy.

“Everybody’s fine,” she said. “The big dogs are just fine, but the cats were a little stressed.”