Fire payment questionable

After viewing the story I saw aired on Tuesday about the Carlton Complex fires. (“$1.9 million Carlton Complex payment goes to Gebbers Farms.”) I have questions that I bet a lot of people would like answered. First of all, if Gebbers Farms was participating in aiding the Department of Natural Resources with fire control, I could understand the billing on equipment and resources required to do so; however, after seeing the charted map of damages to that area in Pateros/Brewster, I find it hard to believe that all the surrounding homes, properties, boats, cars, etc., were completely destroyed, and yet 8,000 acres of Gebbers Farms land is completely untouched, not even singed.

Now did we just pay them to monitor and protect their own property and investments? What about other people and properties? Don’t they deserve the same deal as Gebbers? I think a full investigation needs to be launched into the payouts to Gebbers on how they billed DNR for their services, especially seeing a (fire bonus) went to some employees. Some in excess of $2,000! What are these for and why were they paid? If it’s company standard why should DNR be paying it and why should the other people left out of any form of payment suffer?

I’d like some answers.

Chris Wall

Snohomish