By Joanna Putman
Police1
ROSEBUD COUNTY, Mont. — A Montana sheriff’s office has released harrowing dash camera footage showing a deputy escaping a wildfire, KULR 8 reported.
The video, taken on August 23, shows Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Jonas checking for hazards and ensuring no one was left in the camping areas as the Remington Fire escalated, according to the report.
Sheriff Allen Fulton stated he wants the public to see the video to understand the swift movement of the fire, which has consumed over 196,000 acres and is only 5% contained.
“The wildfire was first discovered in Sheridan County, Wyoming, last Thursday around 8 a.m. By 1:30 a.m. on Friday, it had reached Rosebud County,” detailed the Sheriff’s Office.
Despite cooler temperatures and some precipitation slowing its spread recently, the fire has significantly impacted several Montana counties.
“Here we have giant fires, and it doesn’t displace a lot of people, so it doesn’t get the attention that I think it needs. You know, there’s a devastating loss down there that people can’t put their mind around,” Fulton told KULR.
No lives have been lost in the fire; a fact Fulton described as miraculous given the fire’s rapid expansion.
“These people are very self-sufficient, and there’s no way... We would have to take them away from their ranch kicking and screaming. So there’s no point in even trying. It’s better to just jump in and help versus try and make them lose everything that they’ve worked so hard for.”