VIDEO: Getting a call for mutual aid, at any time, is not unusual for any fire department in Montana. Organizations regularly lend assistance to their neighboring departments for everything from fires to medical calls.
However, the call for mutual aid the Helena Fire Department (HFD) received on December 1, 2021, was unusual. It was two counties and 170 miles away. The West Wind fire was bearing down on Denton, and they needed help. After receiving the call, the HFD joined up with crews from Lewis and Clark, West Valley, Baxendale, East Valley, Montana City and Wolf Creek to make the three-hour journey to rural Fergus County. They, and other agencies across the state, rushed to help the small community.