Deadman Fire severely impacting seasonal business on Tongue River

The Deadman Fire which first broke out over the weekend has severely impacted a seasonal business located on the Tongue River.

The fire caused authorities to suggest evacuation for all campers staying at Tongue River State Park over the weekend, which has caused a major drop in business for the Tongue River Marina.

Marina Owner Ryan Bogers has had a front-row seat to the fire and it's development.

"We started to see all the smoke and then on Saturday evening it really started rolling in," Boger said. "Big Horn County was out here that night about 10:30, encouraging everyone to evacuate."

By the next morning, Bogers said nearly every person — of the near full-capacity campgrounds — had left.

"After that it was pretty much a ghost town around here," Bogers said. "When you see it dwindle down to nothing, you know it's going to be a rough day."

Bogers said it's had a massive impact on his business. Typically, mid-July is when they have their highest amount of foot traffic, but instead it's been slow the past few days.

There are campers still in the area though. Kortney Chase and her friends traveled from all over the southern US to Montana to visit the reservoir and they were doing their best to still enjoy the water on Tuesday.

"We just want to come out here and have a good time and make the best of it," Chase said. "You can't change the way the wind blows."

Her group rented two pontoon boats on Tuesday and hit the water, but the smoke was still noticeable in the skies. That's why there was a sense of anxiousness among the crowd.

"The main thing we're worried about truthfully, is having a good time," said Chase's friend Code Ables. "But everything else is all about the locals and this wind and these fires."

The group also said that while the lack of traffic is nice, they understand what that means.

"Selfishly, we're like 'Hey it's kind of nice. No one's out on the lake,'" Chase said. "But I mean I feel for these people that own small family owned operations."

"This is a spectacular place to be, but we're just worried about y'all," Ables said. "That's the main thing."

The evacuation level was decreased this week for Tongue River State Park to just a warning, which means everything is open. Still, it's a scary time for many and pinch for local businesses.

"The word gets out that the parks been evacuated and everyone thinks the parks been closed down," Bogers said. "And you definitely feel the effects of it. We're feeling the effects of it."