Blog: a web log
02/29/2004: "Fighting fires becoming Western growth industry"
HELENA, Mont. -- Ray Christiaens and Mike Byrnes see more than just smoke and destruction in the annual Western wildfire season. To Christiaens, a caterer from the tiny Montana town of Kevin, and Byrnes, who owns a portable toilet rental business in western Montana, the fires mean business.
"It's a great way to upgrade your fleet," said Byrnes, who used some of the cash he made during the 2003 season to buy new equipment.
As government land managers across the West prepare for another summer wildfire season, private contractors like Christiaens and Byrnes are lining up for a share of the work. Full Story
