During the early spring months in the High Desert, fire danger is traditionally not as high as it would be in summer or early fall; however, with this region's continued below-normal precipitation, an earlier-than-usual fire season is certainly possible this year.
To anyone traveling along SR789 during recent weeks, a validation of that concern is clearly visible in the Stalls Dam area, a stretch of tundra-like terrain still blackened by a fire that swept through there in March.
Twin Creeks Mine employees Roberto Mercado, Ben Padilla and Bill Swindle happened to be driving by on SR789 at that time when they saw rancher Jim Christison attempting to extinguish the fire, just north of Golconda.
Having nearly burned itself out after first sparking to life days earlier, the fire was quickly reignited by high winds that blew through the area.
Mr. Christison was first on the scene and was later joined by Roberto and Ben, who began kicking dirt on and stomping brush that had caught fire. As the fire threatened to jump the river and scorch wildlife habitat, Bill Swindle arrived with shovels to assist the other three men already in action.
The impromptu fire crew was able to contain the fire by throwing dirt onto the flames until the Golconda Fire Department arrived to completely extinguish the burning vegetation.
Mr. Christison was grateful for the assistance he received from the employees, and stated in an email to Twin Creeks General Manager, Mark Evatz, "These gentlemen, could have easily driven on to town ... but they did the neighborly thing and decided to turn around to see if they could help ... it's this kind of neighborly concern that gives credit to the quality of men employed at Newmont."
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