East Fork Fire foundation prepares to distribute $30K

A nonprofit foundation established to help people who were impacted by the East Fork Fire plans to start distributing in two months approximately $30,000 in donated money.

The Hill-Blaine County Fire Foundation was started as a response to public skepticism to government, said Arleeen Rice, the foundation’s president.

The foundation’s predecessor was an account opened by the Hill County commissioners through Independence Bank while the fire still raged last fall. It was one of the many options for people to give, and, typical of Montanans, they gave without abandon, she said.

“This is a tremendous, generous community,” Rice said Friday. “It’s a wonderful chunk of change.”

The account was taken over by the Fire Foundation as a result of public concern that the donated money will be put back into county or state coffers and East Fork Fire victims will never see any of it directly. It took some time to properly set up the foundation. People who helped set up other fire aide foundations were consulted, Rice said.

Rice said she believes people would have donated more, and may still, if they realized how great the need is and if they were more confident the money will be given to the intended recipients.

Dave Molitor, one of multiple landowners who lost grazing land during the fire, showed that concern when he wrote a letter to the editor printed Jan. 5.

“I write to let you know we appreciate your thoughts, but they may all have been in vain, to be or will be squandered, in regards to your intentions,” Molitor wrote.

Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson said earlier in the month that “not one dime” of the money people donated had been spent.

In addition to Rice, the other people on the foundation board are retired accountant Jerry Waltari, vice president of the board, and Blaine County farmer Don Harmon, who is the treasurer. The commissioners, or anyone else in government, do not have access to that money, Rice said.

Molitor was simply saying what many felt, and she, a farmer herself, understands where he’s coming from, Rice said. She said she has spoken to Molitor since he wrote the letter and he now sees what is happening.

The East Fork Fire has been snuffed out for months, but financial embers still burn in the lives of those affected by the nearly 22,000-acre wildfire. Tremendous resources and property were spent and lost to the fire, and the efforts to put it out were just as manifold. In addition to the acres of grazing land, the head of cattle and miles of fencing producers lost, there was time and equipment and other resources expanded by the many who helped in the fighting efforts. People came from as far as two counties away.

As one producer had said, “Anyone with anything that would spray a little water came to help.”

Some people have applied for other aid, such as physical loss loans through the USDA’s Farm Service Agency. But that kind of aide could take up to two years, Rice said, and it’s certainly not guaranteed, as “there are misconceptions about how much money is available from the federal government.”

One family of producers in particular, the Fabers, refused to take any aide money at all, Rice said.

The Hill-Blaine County Fire Foundation, although it will probably distribute money quicker than any government entity, is no guarantee either, Rice said, adding that it doesn’t have enough to cover all the losses and expenses.

People — not only producers, but anyone who expended resources to help against the East Fork Fire — can fill out an application for money from the foundation. A group of five volunteers — selected by foundation members — will review the applications and make decisions about the best way to allocate resources. Filling out an application is no guarantee of money.

The people making the decisions are anonymous, Rice said, so as to feel free of any pressure or concern of consequences when making their decision. The application for aide is anonymous as well.

The applications will be reviewed over a couple of meetings and a final decision on how best to distribute the money will be made.

“Anybody that had a loss can pick up an application, and every application will be considered,” Rice said.

Applications can be picked up at the Hill County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, Frontline Ag Solutions and the Havre Daily News. Those who want to donate can mail money to 1891 38th Ave., Havre, MT 59501 or drop donations off at Independence Bank to the East Fork Fire fund.