BOZEMAN — Five years after the Bridger Foothills Fire scorched nearly 9,000 acres acres north of Bozeman, former Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin remembers the chaos — and the community spirit — that defined those tense days.

Over Labor Day weekend in 2020, a lightning strike that had been smoldering for days ignited into a fast-moving wildfire near the popular “M” trailhead. Dry weather and strong winds pushed flames over the ridge and toward homes in the foothills.

“The first thing I thought of was all of these homes up in the hills, one way in, one way out, and just what a nightmare it was going to be — not only for firefighters but for our troops on the ground to do evacuations,” Gootkin said.

Help poured in from across Montana. As the blaze intensified, officials from across t

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