Letter to the Editor:

While the fire season is winding down, it is a good time to take stock of those who help us individually and as a community when wildland fires threaten our homes and towns.  From the friends and families that came to help evacuate and those who got their 72 hour kits by the door, to the FireSafe Council for all the check off lists they have put in the newspapers, thank you. Thank you, too, to the Red Cross Disaster Action Team and the Assembly of God Church for the evacuation shelter and all the folks that stopped by to ask what they could do to help.  Libby is a great community.

Among those who step forward are the teams of fire fighters from federal and state agencies and our local volunteer firemen. Thank you.

We also know that some of these men and women do not return home – or return home after being injured on the fire line. It is for these folks and their families that we hold the annual Kootenai Wildland Fire Fighter Challenge. The proceeds from this event all go toward the Wildland Firefighter Foundation (http://www.wffoundation.org) whose mission is to honor those who have been killed and injured in the course of protecting our lands, our homes and our property. 

Please consider donating to the foundation – and attending and enjoying next year’s challenge as a show of support for these courageous individuals.

– Terry Peck,

Libby