KOTA Territory NewsGrizzly Gulch Fire: 7 years later

Grizzly Gulch Fire: 7 years later

Meredith Garofalo

It was the home his father built in Two-Bit Gulch, where he lived with his wife and where his children spent their childhood.

"We had a lot of happy memories here. My children were the third generation in this home and it was chocked full of beautiful antiques," said David Sandidge, a victim of the Grizzly Gulch Fire.

In one day, June 29 2002, he lost everything in the Grizzly Gulch Fire.  Three years later, still struggling to recover, Sandidge had another catastrophe; his wife succumbed to cancer.  Years later, these events still haunt him.

It's been seven years since the Grizzly Gulch Fire and you can see there are still some remnants.  The trees burned, the foundation of the garage, and there are still memories staying around reminding people what they lost just seven years ago.

Today, all he has left is a box of burned and melted momentoes that represent more than a half century of life.

"It's been literally starting all over again.  And at 56-years-old, that's pretty hard to do.  I'm doing fine now, I've got my four lovely children," said Sandidge.

However, there's other problems he still has to deal with.

"Fighting with Black Hills Power," he said.  "It's something I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think abot before I go to bed.  It would be such a relief to settle this with Black Hills Power and to get some closure on not only the fire but my wife's death.  It's time justice was done with the Grizzly Gulch Forest Fire victims."

Black Hills Power spokesperson Mutch Usera said the company defends with confidence that the fire was due to a lightning strike and was not manmade.  Both landowners and commercial companies have filed lawsuits against Black Hills Power, but the two sides still need to sit down and meet to advance the litigation process.  The company anticipates a trial date in late 2009 or early 2010.