Rice Ridge Fire Impacts?

SEELEY LAKE – It is no secret that the Rice Ridge Fire took a huge toll on our community mentally, physically and economically.

This also happened in 2007 during the Jocko Lakes Fire. Community members are quick to say the economic loss was in the millions with Highway 83 shut down for nearly two weeks and half of the area evacuated. However no one ever tried to quantify the impact.

The Rice Ridge Fire added a whole new issue with the worst air quality ever reported in Missoula County. There were also lake closures and evacuations of more than half of town that lasted nearly two weeks for some and evacuation warnings that stretched from Highway 83 east of Ovando.

We want to capture the loss experienced by residents and business owners. Our intent is put a number to the impacts that residents, non-residents and business owners felt due to the fire. Questions range from factors you feel caused the fire to get so large to the impacts of smoke, lake closures and evacuations.

We hope you will take the time to share a little bit of your story with us. Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HN8XR5G to complete the survey. All answers are anonymous and the survey will only take about five minutes to complete. It will be available through the end of October.