WESTERN MONTANA — Here's a look at Western Montana's top news stories for Friday.
Firefighting teams, including smokejumpers, responded to the Observation Point Fire burning near Lost Horse Road in the Bitterroot Valley. The fire forced evacuations Thursday afternoon shortly after it was reported around 1:30 p.m. The blaze is burning near the Lost Horse Lodge between Hamilton and Darby and quickly spread after igniting. (Read the full story)
Missoula experienced significant damage to trees during last year's July 24 windstorm, with nearly 30,000 trees damaged. The city had to completely remove around 650, according to the city’s Urban Forestry Program Manager Ben Carson. One year later, cleanup continues, with the program expecting ongoing stump removal and replanting for the next several years. (Read the full story)
When the storm hit Missoula, Northwestern Energy was faced with the difficult task of restoring power to 44,000 customers who lost electricity in less than 11 minutes. The utility's incident command system mobilized around 250 personnel, allowing them to restore power to half of the affected areas by the next morning. NWE estimates the storm caused over $4 million in damage. (Read the full story)
A year after the winds damaged Linda Vista Golf Course, the grounds crew has worked tirelessly to clear debris and restore the greens, fairways and tee boxes. Despite ongoing cleanup efforts, the course was reopened in under a week, reflecting the resilience of small businesses in the Missoula community. (Read the full story)
