Blackened skeletons with scraggly outstretched arms stood in eerie silence, the dull smoky gray sky gasping for a breath of fresh air. Instead of the wildflowers of June dotting the meadows and mountainside, white ashes lay at the feet of the burned trees amid toppled charred trunks, branches, and smoldering stumps. There was no sign of life, no animals foraged in the scorched undergrowth. The fire that left a path of destruction was put to death before it consumed everything.
Two kids, Loyd Rein and Benny Green, had spotted the column of smoke while riding in the Olson field. Fire! They galloped to tell Indian Charlie and Gordon Langston who were working on the fence line. By the time they got to the Brannin Ranch, Babe had already pulled the saddle off Jitney and was riding bareback over the hills to the nearest phone, eight miles over land, thirteen by road. Jitney flew like the wind, her black mane and tail blowing in the breeze as Babe urged the buckskin mare on. Neither let up until they reached their destination and made the call for help. Word spread like wildfire and neighbors, firefighters, and family came.
The endurance and speed of Jitney was a perfect match with the true grit and sheer determination of bareback Babe. They were a team. Babe’s quick thinking and action saved the day. The fire was put to death before it consumed everything, but not before leaving a path of destruction on the landscape evidenced for years to come. Not only did the land look bleak and desolate but also their livelihood as Ward and Parker returned from the battlefields of World War I to a fire ravaged land.
Babe, third from left
The fire brought destruction to the land, but the families and their homes were safe. Not only was the property of those who lived in Sweet Grass Canyon affected, but also that of the Forest Service. There was a glimmer of hope as new life emerged from the floor of the forest. Virgin growth rose from the ashes. Seeds burst open from the heat and brought forth flowers, trees and various grasses.
You might think the burned forest was not good for the sawmill business at Ward and Parker, but the trees that survived the extreme heat and did not turn to ashes were salvaged. The Forest Service allowed the sawmillers to harvest the trees on National Forest property. Fire killed timber was well cured. The heat from the fire hardened the sap within the trees. They would not twist or bow. Ward & Parker had their work cut out for them. The same fire that destroyed some of the trees made others stronger. The dried cured logs were sold and used for ranch houses, barns and outbuildings. Some of those logs still stand within a few buildings in Sweet Grass County.
I have come to the conclusion that this is a great life lesson. Often, we are not much different than the forest. We sometimes face fire in our lives. Those times of trial can either consume us or they can make us stronger. Our world may seem bleak as we stand in the ashes, not realizing that instead of being devoured, we have been made stronger.
May the heat from the fire on your mountain bring new growth, endurance and strength. You never know what beauty will emerge.
after the fire…..