During the blustery weekend, the National Weather Service measured peak wind gusts at 45 mph in the Flathead Valley.  

It was likely one of those gusts uprooted a tall tree in Janet McCrorie’s yard, causing it to topple onto a fence. The 100-year-old house on Second Avenue West North in Kalispell was spared, however.

“I’m glad it didn’t go through my house,” she said on Monday as she worked to hire somebody to clean up the mess.

No one was home when the tree went down sometime on Saturday as windy conditions pounded the Flathead Valley. 

The weather caused its share of hazards — wayward street signs separated from their posts, fallen branches blocking traffic and smoldering flames getting new life.

The Columbia Falls Fire Department received some of those calls. Fire Chief Rich Hagen said Columbia Falls emergency calls included a tree that had blown down across Trumble Creek Road. 

Columbia Falls firefighters also responded Saturday to a grass fire, one of several in the valley. Hagen said that an old burn pile was rekindled in the wind and spread near South Hilltop Road. While the weekend wasn’t unusually busy, Hagen said wind is the sort of weather event that can makes it that way.

“It can be, especially with the trees across power lines and if people are foolish enough to burn when it’s really windy,” he said. “They usually get away from them.”

Elsewhere in the valley, fire departments and law enforcement had their share of traffic control issues and power-line responses. Six calls for power-line issues were made on Saturday, the windiest day of the weekend.

Wendy Ostrom Price with Flathead Electric Cooperative said the utility logged 19 scattered outages over the weekend. The hardest hit areas were the West Valley and Libby areas.

“It was nothing extraordinary or anything, but typically it’s something we see when the wind is like it is,” Ostrom Price said.

About 1,400 members were impacted by the outages, she said. That’s less than three percent of total membership.

But co-op personnel had a busy weekend and calls came in at all hours. Ostrom Price said that it’s another reason why National Lineman Appreciation Day, an industrywide recognition, is celebrated on Monday.

Toward the east side of the valley, people celebrated the 49th annual Creston Auction despite the gusty conditions. While the event worked to benefit the Creston Fire Department, the wind put some firefighters to work. 

Creston Fire Chief Gary Mahugh said fire crews were called to a fire that had spread to a shed. It was an old burn pile that caught new life in the wind and burned an acre of grass before crews contained it. Mahugh said that a quick mutual-assist response from Evergreen Fire Rescue played a big role in stopping the blaze.

“It’s pretty incredible how fast things move,” Mahugh said. “That was a good stop and again it was that partnership between us that was the reason that got stopped.”

As for the auction itself, he said that it was another successful year despite the wind.

Back in Kalispell, McCrorie said the tree that fell in her yard stood about 80 feet tall. It is now horizontal, propped up by a partially smashed fence. A large hole opened up where the roots gave way.

McCrorie was positive, saying that it could have been worse and people have been helpful. She brought out a note from the mailman that offered condolences about the tree. The tree will be removed, just like another standing tree was taken out a couple years ago on the other side of the yard.

“Nobody’s hurt; No damage,” she said, “other than the fence.”

Reach reporter Matt Hudson at 758-4459 or by email at mhudson@dailyinterlake.com.