Rock Island graduate fights flames

(KWQC)
Published: Sep. 17, 2017 at 5:44 PM CDT
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Upon graduating from Rock Island high school in 2014, Ndabishuriya Simon moved to Alaska to become a firefighter.

As a Saw Boss type 21A at Tanana Chiefs, Simon has been helping with the Montana wildlife fires since July 2017 where he and his crew went to help.

Simon said moving to Alaska and coming to help in Montana; he said it is his first season handling wildfires.

“What we're dealing with is like record-breaking since, like 2000, that was the last time they saw stuff like this,” said Simon.

Simon said working in Montana is hot.

“What they did when we got there was make sure to see if we could get an open door to put us in the fire but I guess the fire did not want to wait for us so the fire just took off and started running,” said Simon.

"Our main priority was to protect city lake which was a town about 5 miles from where the fire was at. We’re fighting the fire from the side, cutting indirect and what that does is pretty much clear a lot road that looks like a highway and then we do back burn with that main fire meaning we start our own fire to stop the main fire,” said Simon.

Simon said he understands how dangerous it is to be out there with the other firefighters but the work must be done.

“When I first got in I had no idea what was I getting myself into?I'm tired the guys are tired they miss their family they've been away from their family too long,” said Simon.

Simon said he and his crew still have a few weeks left to help out and handle the wild fires with Montana firefighters.

Once he is finished, he will return to his home unit in Alaska.

Simon said the fires should be out by October but crews are continuing to monitor them.

He said snow and rain along with colder temperatures arriving are also helping suppress the flames.