Aggressive Mop-up and Rehab Underway Although all fires within the Southeastern Montana Complex are 100% contained, the struggle to eliminate pesky hot spots continues. Additionally, the hundreds of miles of primary and secondary dozer lines are in need of evaluation for rehabilitation by the dozers and graders assigned to the fires. Seven firefighters working together on the Taylor Creek Fire on Friday suffered from nausea and were taken to the Ashland Clinic for treatment. It was determined that they had been exposed to sulfur dioxide produced by trying to mop up a hot spot that turned out to be in a surface seam of coal. All seven firefighters were able to return to duty later in the day.An additional strike team of four engines and a task force leader arrived yesterday to help accelerate the mop-up effort. Islands of greener grass and brush within the fire perimeter that survived the Taylor Creek blaze until now are drying out with the 100+ degree temperatures. Latent heat along...
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