Rancher grateful for help following Medora fire

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - It’s been nearly eight weeks since a 3,000 acre fire raged through the Badlands, and destroyed a majority of a Medora ranchers pasture.

Recent moisture has helped, and generous donations to a struggling farm brought some light to a charred area.

Doug Tescher, the owner of Bar X Ranch in Medora, estimated 50% of his pastures burned in the April 1 fire.

The last time we spoke with Tescher, he was unsure of how he was going to graze his horses or cattle, but as the smoke cleared, he found the grass can become greener thanks to help from friends and complete strangers.

“That burned area is green like a golf course,” said Tescher.

His horses are still stuck in the coral, and he’s been forced to feed them hay since.

“I’ve fed a lot more hay in the last month and six weeks then I generally do,” said Tescher.

Farmers and ranchers from as far away as Minnesota donated four semi loads hay to the Bar X Ranch to help with costs.

“I don’t even know how to being saying thanks,” said Tescher.

Hay isn’t the only thing being donated in town. Businesses are completing in a challenge to raise funds for the volunteer fire department.

“We owe them a lot, everything basically,” said resident Mary Griffin-Abrahamson. Their goal is to raise$10,000 for the department to purchase a new truck.

“My goal was just to do something to help. Just to show our appreciation and that we owed them all whole lot,” said Griffin-Abrahamson.

As the once charred grasslands begin to be restored, these burned trees will be a reminder of the 12 hour fight firefighters endured to save the town of Medora.

Tescher says he has more than five miles of burned fencing to repair before he can let his livestock out to pasture. His goal is have the horses and cattle graze the land later this summer.

Copyright 2021 KFYR. All rights reserved.