Frantic cattle roundup in front of Grizzly Bear Fire

As the Grizzly Bear Complex fire roared across Grouse Flats north of Troy, the ranchers at Anchor Bar, their friends and their neighbors fought with everything they had to preserve the barns and homes on their ranch. The ranch is spread out widely, so in fighting that fire, the cowboys slowed the fire down and may have played a large part in saving the little community of Grouse Flats. Ranch managers Buck and Chelsea Matthews were scrambling to round up cattle and haul them to safety as the Grizzly Bear Complex turned for Eden Bench Monday morning. “Buck hasn’t had three hours sleep in three days,” said Chelsea Matthews. Her concern Monday was a rumor that the Forest Service was going to backburn Eden Bench. “We still have 300 cows there,” she said. “We’re trying pretty hard to get word to the Forest Service that we would really like the opportunity to get them out.” The cattle on Eden Bench were on a grazing allotment on Forest Service land. Because of the remoteness and size of the ranch, the roundup was being coordinated by radio. Cell phones don’t work...more