I’m from the government and I’m here to help

8-8-2024

I’m from the government and I’m here to help

Ronald Reagan said that the most terrifying words said by a government agent is “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Just ask the people of Gem and Washington counties in South Central Idaho what that “help” feels like. Better yet ask my younger brother Jess who was in the midst of battling the nearby fire and suddenly his electricity was turned off. That meant no power to his water, house or outlying building. In fact the nearest creek is probably ½ mile behind and BELOW his property so carrying water to fight the fire was out of the question. After a family member found a utility crew and found they had been told to turn off the power, a call to a supervisor got the power back on 15 minutes later, but by then it may have been too late to do any good.

After Jess’s family evacuated he and his daughter stayed behind in a futile attempt to save the family ranch. Late last night I received a phone call from my youngest brother Jered who lives in Ola, some 6 miles south of Jess’s 3^rd Fork Road property that Jess had finally been evacuated to Jered’s place.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Jess is a broken man and mad as the dickens at the way BLM has handled this fire situation. In my opinion that blame goes all the way up to the Biden/Harris administration and the way Biden said “I cured the economy”.

If that wasn’t heartbreaking enough Ola’s volunteer firefighting crews stationed next to Jered’s place were out trying to save structures and families near the edge of the fire which has been burning since 5 August, but were stopped by BLM crews and told to stand down, it wasn’t their fire, it was BLMs fire.

Now the community of Ola is one where neighbors help neighbors and everyone knows everyone. They have been collecting water and other supplies to help the fire fighters who are supposed to be helping them save their farms and ranches. Most of those who brought supplies from places like Emmett and Horseshoe Bend and even Boise are unaware of the fact that the BLM crews have set up camp and are effectively sheltering in place – DOING NOTHING!

Yesterday’s BLM news release “Prompts evacuation of Washington and Gem counties due to the Paddock Fire located 20 miles north of Emmett that has grown to more than 118,000 acres of burning grass and brush, caused by lightning and remains uncontained.”

I wonder why?

According to the report “a Type 3 incident Management Team from Nevada has been ordered TEAM THREE from Nevada and has assumed command of the incident today 8 August.”

So that’s it, problem solved now that the Idaho BLM team has done all they were ordered to do – NOTHING, the big boys of TEAM THREE will save the day.

Contact: Fire Information Officer Bureau of Land Management – Phone (208) 384-3378

Media contact: Chad Cline (208) 384-3444 or ccline@blm.gov

I’m not impressed. – RTM