Storm Castle Fire – Millie Fire Incident

Sometimes plans go awry.

Sometimes this is for the best.

Chi Wulff Jake and I both had a rare day off from the day jobs and decided to take the opportunity to head up the Gallatin Canyon for some firearms practice.  On the first pass driving past our canyon range south of Big Sky, the range was occupied.  Fair game.  After a quick debate we decided to make the run to West Yellowstone and see what was shaking in town.

As is typical for this time of year, not too much was going on in West other than the normal tourist traffic.

We headed back north.  The range was again occupied.  We stopped by the Gallatin River, taking some time by the river and hoping the range would be free after twenty minutes or so.

It was not.

And so to plan B.  We headed north again, planning to head up Storm Castle backroads and shoot back up in the hills.

About twenty minutes from the Storm Castle turnoff, a tell-tale puff of smoke caught Jake’s eye.  Soon it became apparent this puff of smoke was growing.

As smoke will do on a windy day with 90+ temperatures and low humidity.  A red flag day.

As we drove closer, it became apparent the smoke was coming from back up in the Storm Castle canyon area.  Adrenaline starting to hum slightly, we figured ‘what the hell’ and headed up the canyon regardless.  After 7-plus miles of bumping along dirt roads we were stopped by a Forest Service truck parked across the road.

Fair enough.  I was able to get some images and, after all, we were really on a mission to go shoot.

So I turned to Fire Girl Subaru around and we pulled in down a rutted-out dirt road about a half-mile from the turn around point.  Close enough to watch the fire grow and to appreciate the three aircraft working the fire.

Since when did Montana get jet retardent-dropping planes?  I grew up with the old World War II era fire bombers.  I know I’ve been gone for over two years, but it caught me off guard.

The hum of planes in the background, we enjoyed some time with our guns – especially Jake’s new (to him) 1943 Russian Mosin Nagant.

An incredible weapon.  It is hard to beat holding a working piece of history, firing the weapon under the smoke plume of a very active forest fire in the Montana backwoods.

That said, Jake got some down time with his Sig and the Mosin Nagant and I was ecstatic with my improvements with my Glock.  We both left the range beyond relaxed and mellow.  Nothing like going through a few boxes of ammunition to take the edge off.

We passed two road blocks – Forest Service and highway patrol – heading out of the canyon and realized we made it in just in time.

Sometimes things don’t work out for a reason – if we had stopped at the range up canyon we would have missed the chance to get up close and personal with the fire.

I’m now back in Bozeman; it looks like the fire has been named the Millie Fire.  The current size is 150 acres, and InciWeb is giving it a high potential to grow.

That’s summer in the Rockies.

Tags: Fires

Tagged as: Fire Girl Photography, Gallatin National Forest, guns, Millie Fire, shooting, Storm Castle Fire, weapons