Month: October 2015

On Monday, October 26, 2015, around 6:37 pm, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Division responded to a backcountry rescue.  An eighteen year old male was driving his pick-up in the upper Moser Creek drainage when his truck slid off a slanted area of the roadway and became high-centered on a rock.

The motorist tried to free himself but quickly became wet and cold in the poor weather conditions.  After calling 911 for help, the motorist had to shut his phone off due to having a very low battery.  The truck had plenty of gas to keep the engine running for heat.  The motorist also had food, water, and an extra blanket.  The motorist stayed in the truck to wait for help.

Search and rescue members quickly located the stranded motorist, who was wet and cold, but in good spirits.  They transported him to an awaiting AMR ambulance for an evaluation.  The truck was left on scene for future retrieval.

Search and rescue members arranged for a friend of the motorist to pick him up at the search and rescue building.

  (Gallatin County, Mont.). Saturday at 7:38 pm, Gallatin County Dispatch received a call reporting a lost hunter. The 19 year old Polson man got separated from his party while they were carrying out an elk. He called 9-1-1 because he was unfamiliar with the area and was losing daylight. Sheriff’s Search and Rescue teams responded to the Battle Ridge area to conduct a search based on the hunter’s description of his location and his phone’s GPS data. The hunter’s vehicle and hunting partners were located immediately upon arrival, and the hunter was located by SAR at 11:53 pm. He was reunited with his partners in area of Battle Ridge Campground and was taken home.

Sheriff Gootkin said, “The hunter did not have the necessary supplies to stay in the woods overnight. If planning a hunt this fall, be sure to stock your pack with the necessary survival gear should you be lost or injured, and stay in close contact with your partners.”##### 

On 10/16/15 at approximately 5:30 PM Gallatin County Dispatch received a report of a 40 year old male who had fallen hiking the “M.” The un-witnessed fall left him just below the “M” off of the steeper trail. He was unconscious for a while and regained partial consciousness as good Samaritans did their best to stabilize him. The man was reached by two members of AMR and three members from Bridger Canyon Fire. Members of Gallatin County Search and Rescue reached him shortly after. They packaged him in a specialized one-wheel litter and walked him out to a waiting ambulance.

The victim’s wife stated that her husband hikes the trail every day. This is a good reminder for even the competent hiker to be careful when out alone.

Cottonwood Gulch Fire Update 10-16-2015

***This will be the last update for the Cottonwood Gulch Fire***

Date: October 16, 2015    Time of Update: 16:00

Media Contact: Kerry O’Connell 406-539-2559

Date and Time of Ignition: October 11, 2015, 11:15 AM

Jurisdiction: Gallatin County Rural Fire and Gallatin River Ranch Fire

Cause: Human-caused

Size: 8,300 acres

Containment: 100%

Structures Burned: 1 outbuilding

Over the last two days, the Type 4 management organization used five Forest Service engine crews to locate and cool hot spots in the fire area. Crews spent particular attention to the perimeter of the fire. A dozer and excavator completed rehab of the dozer line on the northern edge of the fire today.

The fire is now in patrol status. Residents in the area will not see engines on the fire. Instead, one or two focused patrols will be done during the heat of the day throughout the weekend. Engine crews will be called if needed to cool hot spots where needed. Residents should expect to see smoke from the interior of the fire until a wetting rain or snow. Northwestern Energy will continue to have crews in the area completing repairs on their damaged power poles.

Many thanks go out to all the agencies who responded, the outcome of this fire could have been much different if not for their quick response. The cooperation of the landowners and residents in the area was a huge help to all of the firefighters working on the fire. We appreciate the efforts and cooperation of all those involved.

Cooperating Agencies: Bridger Canyon Fire, Fort Ellis Fire, Central Valley Fire, Bozeman Fire, Manhattan Fire, Rae and Sourdough Fire, Gallatin Gateway Fire, Amsterdam Fire, Clarkston Fire, Three Forks Fire, Willow Creek Fire, Gallatin County 911, Gallatin County Road and Bridge Department, Gallatin County Emergency Management, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Gallatin County GIS, Gallatin County Search and Rescue, Montana DNRC, Custer Gallatin National Forest, Helena National Forest, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Northwestern Energy, Phillips 66/Yellowstone Pipeline.

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office has been receiving an increasing number of calls from residents who are reporting phone scams. It appears that people are calling residents and telling them that they have missed jury duty and that there is a warrant out for their arrest. The callers have used the name of actual Sheriff’s Office Lieutenants. The number that they are calling from has a voice mail that states it is the Sheriff’s Office, but that no one is available to take your call.

The Sheriff would like to remind everyone that the Sheriff’s Office will never call anyone looking for money. A safe general rule for everyone to follow is to never give personal, or financial information over the phone to anyone that you did not call yourself. The most common scams are that the IRS, the Sheriff’s Office, or another government entity need money from a pre-paid card or you will be arrested.

Another common scam is someone calling and telling you that a loved one is in a jail somewhere, and they need money to get out. Mexico seems to be the most popular.  Another common scam is they pose as a computer company that has detected a virus on your computer and needs you to log on to your computer so that they can fix it.  They then load a virus onto your computer locking you out of it, essentially holding your computer hostage, or they steal your personal information for identity theft purposes.

If you receive any phone call that you might suspect is suspicious, hang-up and call your local law enforcement.

Cottonwood Gulch Fire Evening Update 10-14-2015

***The next update will be Friday, October 16, 2015***

Date: October 14, 2015    Time of Update: 17:00

Media Contact: Kerry O’Connell 406-539-2559

Date and Time of Ignition: October 11, 2015, 11:15 AM

Jurisdiction: Gallatin County Rural Fire and Gallatin River Ranch Fire

Cause: Human-caused

Size: 8,300 acres

Containment: 100%

Structures Burned: 1 outbuilding

Crews continued mop-up today and most resources were released from the fire. The management organization will transition from a Type 3 organization to a smaller Type 4. Five Forest Service engine crews will remain on the fire on Thursday and Friday to cool any hot spots left on the fire. A dozer and excavator will be working on the rehab of the dozer line on the northern perimeter of the fire. Smoke could be visible from the interior of the fire.

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office has investigated the cause of the fire. The fire was accidentally started by a landowner’s vehicle. There will be no criminal charges requested through the County Attorney’s Office.

Interagency cooperation resulted in the successful containment of this fire. Many thanks go out to all the agencies who responded. The cooperation of the many landowners and residents in the area was a huge help to all of the firefighters working on the fire.

Cooperating Agencies: Bridger Canyon Fire, Fort Ellis Fire, Central Valley Fire, Bozeman Fire, Manhattan Fire, Rae and Sourdough Fire, Gallatin Gateway Fire, Amsterdam Fire, Clarkston Fire, Three Forks Fire, Willow Creek Fire, Gallatin County 911, Gallatin County Road and Bridge Department, Gallatin County Emergency Management, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Gallatin County GIS, Gallatin County Search and Rescue, DNRC, Custer Gallatin National Forest, Helena National Forest, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

Cause of the Cottonwood Gulch Fire

Date: October 14, 2015
Time: 16:00
Media Contact: Kerry O’Connell, 406-539-2559

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office has investigated the cause of the Cottonwood Gulch Fire. The fire was accidentally started by a landowner’s vehicle. There will be no criminal charges requested through the County Attorney’s Office.

Cottonwood Gulch Fire Photos

All photos were taken at the eastern end of the fire on Tuesday, October 13, 2015.

All photos courtesy of Patrick Lonergan.

October 21st is the Great Montana ShakeOut, and everyone is encouraged to participate.  The simple act of Drop, Cover, Hold on can make all the difference during an earthquake.  We are encouraging our entire community to take a couple minutes and practice this on the 21st, and asking our partners in the media to help us get the word out.

General information on the Great Montana ShakeOut can be obtained at http://www.shakeout.org/montana/.  This includes the overview and numerous participant guides to cover a wide range of participants from families and schools to businesses.

Multimedia material for media outlets is also available at http://www.shakeout.org/montana/drill/broadcast/.

Please take a look and see how your agency can help support this program in our community.  Any questions can be directed to Gallatin County Emergency Management at (406) 582-2350.