HOT SPRINGS - Alabaugh Canyon is black with scorched, bare trees, a bleak reminder of the devastating fire that roared up the canyon on Saturday night, July 7.
See video from the heighth of the Alabaugh fire. Also, see video of firefighters gaining the upper hand.
Up on the canyon rim to the east, scorched branches lie in
piles, dumpsters overflow with debris, and black, denuded trees
still stand in some places as silent witness to the devastation
from the Alabaugh Fire, which began three months ago Sunday.
Sparked by lightning and driven by hot winds, the fire
exploded up and over the canyon walls, destroying 33 homes, killing
one resident and driving hundreds more from their homes, some
barely escaping with their lives. Two firefighters suffered burns
when the fire overtook them.
But there are plenty of signs of recovery now in the Alabaugh
burn area.
New foundations have begun to appear in the Pine Shadows
subdivision and other areas devastated by the fire.
Burned trees have been cut down and hauled away from many of
the lots.
In one motorhome, Jerry Peterson was lying down recovering
from a sinus infection. But outside, a few yards away, brothers
Neil and Brett Kunnari of Wright Construction put up walls on the
garage for Peterson's new house.
Peterson and his wife, Sherry Peterson, began plans for
rebuilding almost immediately after the fire.
A logger cut down all the burned trees on their 20 acres and
hauled them away.
By Wednesday, crews had begun putting up roof trusses.
The Petersons' new house is being built on the spot occupied
by their old house.
"We've got a million dollar view here," Peterson explained,
even with the devastation in the blackened canyon below. "You can
see all the way to Nebraska." The Petersons, who own a fitness
center, health clinic and beauty salon in Hot Springs, have lived
on the canyon rim for 13 years.
About a mile south, crews were hoisting roof trusses onto the
frame of Charlie and Antoinette Reynar's new log house. The Reynars
are building their log house on the exact same spot where their old
house sat, before it was devoured by the Alabaugh Fire.
Charlie Reynar said he hoped the new roof would be on the
house by today. But the house probably won't be finished until the
middle of next year, he said.
But seeing the new house go up gives him a good feeling,
Reynar said. "It makes me feel solid, like I'm progressing instead
of staying stagnant."
Reynar said he believes most people burned out by Alabaugh are
fairly optimistic and many are rebuilding.
"I was fortunate enough to have friends that were able to help
me right away," he said.
Reynar's crew is made up of friends he made during his days in
the construction industry in the East. Three men from Maryland and
one from New York State wrestled the roof trusses into place.
Michael Hackenbruch, whose home was destroyed by Alabaugh,
hasn't decided whether to rebuild. He didn't receive as much from
insurance as he'd hoped and he underwent shoulder surgery last
month, complicating his rebuilding plans.
Hackenbruch, who was most upset right after the fire about the
deaths of his cats, said last week that five of his "outside" cats
survived and have returned to the home site. But his five "inside"
cats died in the fire. Another six or seven feral cats are still
missing.
Hackenbruch said he was grateful for financial aid raised by
the fire victims' fund coordinated by the Hot Springs Chamber of
Commerce, Fall River County and the city of Hot Springs.
County Commission Chairman Mike Ortner, who is on the fund
committee, said about half of the $100,000 raised so far has been
distributed.
County Emergency Management Director Frank Maynard said the
estimated property loss so far is about $3.6 million.
Ortner said the county will lower property tax valuations for
burned parcels, but the impact on county revenue will be
minimal.
He said many fire victims discovered to their dismay that they
were under-insured, especially for personal property, or that they
didn't have adequate documentation for household goods lost to the
fire.
Prices have gone up for appliances and clothing, he said. Of
course, some things, such as family heirlooms, photos, and
collectibles are difficult to put a price on.
The city will accept burned-out vehicles in the city dump, and
Ortner wants to use some of the $50,000 remaining from the fire
fund to pay those costs.
Maynard said he is working with the local U.S. Natural
Resource & Conservation Service office on a grant request to
pay for erosion control, weed control and some reseeding of grass
and trees.
The county commission also has access to $149,000 in federal
funds to be used for fire suppression, education and prevention.
Ortner hopes some of the money can be used to reseed areas of the
fire, including private land adjacent to Black Hills National
Forest land.
The county commission last week voted to meet Tuesday, Oct.
16, with Hell Canyon District Ranger Mike Lloyd to get his
recommendations for rehabilitation.
The 10,324 acres burned by Alabaugh included approximately
1,600 acres on the national forest.
The Forest Service has already begun some rehab work on the
burn area. Crews sprayed herbicide near Cascade Springs to kill
noxious weeds encouraged by the fire, according to Deanna Reyher,
forest soil scientist and watershed coordinator for the Black Hills
National Forest.
Crews also have placed straw mats and straw wattles, which are
tubes of plastic netting filled with straw, in drainages to halt
erosion.
But with canyon walls and hillsides stripped of vegetation,
the Forest Service is warning of flash flood danger at Cascade
Falls, a popular swimming area just south of the burn area, Reyher
said.
Ortner said it will probably take a couple of years for the
Cascade Road community to recover from the Alabaugh Fire, although
he said some efforts have moved quickly.
One of Peterson's neighbors has moved a modular home onto his
property and is already living in it.
Ortner said most people are coping pretty well. "I haven't
been made aware of a great deal of depression," he said.
Peterson agreed that most Alabaugh fire victims are doing
fairly well emotionally, although he admitted, "I think everyone is
stressed to the limit. Most want to rebuild and start over,"
Peterson said.
"This was just a garden," he said with a sweep of his arm. "It
makes me sick when I look out and I don't have my trees around
me."
But he said the grass is coming back strong, along with a lot
of deer.
"It'll look nice again when we get it landscaped and trees
planted," Peterson said. "It'll look different next spring."
Contact Steve Miller at 394-8417 or steve.miller@rapidcityjournal.com
Alabaugh Fire facts
Acres burned: 10,324
Firefighting cost: $2.6 million
Property damage: $3.6 million
One death: Resident David Beeman, trapped by flames in his home.
Injuries: Two firefighters suffered burns when the winds shifted.
Fire began: July 7
Fire contained: July 12
Fire victim relief fund donations so far: About $100,000.
Donations
Donations are still being taken for victims of the Alabaugh Fire.
Monetary contributions may be mailed to:
Hot Springs Fire Fund
P.O. Box 342
Hot Springs, SD 57747
