Online fundraiser benefits worker critically injured in lumbermill fire
HANNAH SHIELDS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 months, 3 weeks AGO
Firefighters respond to a blaze at Montana Timberline Firewood Company on Helena Flats Road on Tuesday, Dec. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
RURAL GOVERNMENT REPORTER, REPORT FOR AMERICA Hannah Shields covers rural government and accountability reporting for the Daily Inter Lake and Northwest Montana weekly papers as part of the national Report for America program. Her reporting focuses on transparency, public spending and the impact of local government decisions on small communities. Shields has covered issues ranging from school district finances to development disputes and rural infrastructure projects. She regularly uses public records and investigative reporting to examine institutions that affect local residents. Her work helps bring greater oversight and visibility to rural government across Northwest Montana. IMPACT: Hannah’s work strengthens transparency and accountability in rural communities that often lack consistent watchdog coverage. | January 3, 2026 11:00 PM
An online fundraiser for a worker critically injured during a Dec. 30 fire at a lumbermill northeast of Kalispell has garnered about $9,000 in donations in a matter of days.
Aaron Walker, a Montana Timberline Firewood Company employee who lived on the company’s Helena Flats Road property, was life-flighted to Salt Lake City after sustaining severe burn injuries in the blaze. He lost his RV home and car to the flames, and his calico cat, Tokers, has been missing since the night of the fire.
“As a result of this accident, Aaron has lost his home, car, his employment, and his ability to work for the foreseeable future due to the severity of his injuries,” said Elaina Knopp in a post on the online fundraising website GoFundMe. “The road to recovery will be long and challenging.”
Plant Manager Nic Bedwell said the company is working to secure long-term housing for Walker. He’s been approached by other community support groups this week to raise funds for the lumbermill employee. A local animal shelter offered to set up live traps to help locate the missing feline, Bedwell added.
Personnel from more than a dozen local fire departments responded to the conflagration just after 9 p.m., Dec. 30, officials said.
The fire, which at one point was visible to motorists on U.S. 2, was 100% contained by early Wednesday afternoon. The cause remains under investigation.
Walker is under 24-hour observation to monitor his breathing after sustaining significant damage to his lungs from the fire, according to a Jan. 1 post on GoFundMe. He remains unconscious and is supported by a ventilator and feeding tube. Deep burns are visible on his face, the back of his head, arms, hands, feet and back.
Bedwell said the lumbermill company intends to rebuild, but said it’s too early to share details. His priority is keeping a close eye on Walker’s recovery, he said.
Lumbermill employees are being paid part-time to secure the property on rotating day and night shifts, Bedwell said. Representatives from local resources reached out Wednesday night to help employees find new jobs in the meantime.
“It's still kind of a shock to all the employees and the company,” Bedwell said.
Reporter Hannah Shields can be reached at 758-4439 or [email protected].
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