MISSOULA - Missoula's wildland firefighters brought the heat, but it was the community that brought the cash, as the annual Fire on Ice fundraiser netted the most money ever.
After narrowly getting in the last game just weeks before the 2020 pandemic lockdowns, and then having to cancel in 2021, Missoula area firefighters were raring to go Saturday night — and so were the hundreds of fans who packed the Glacier Ice Rink.
This was the 10th anniversary, pitting the Missoula Fire Department BomBEARos against the "Wildlanders", the men and women who protect Missoula area residents from wildfires every year.
This year, the "Wildlanders" really brought their "hot shot" crews, winning the JV game 5-to-1, just one game away from tying the series record. In the finale, the two teams banged out the highest-scoring game ever, with the "Wildlanders" netting the 9-7 win.
But the biggest number was the nearly $13,000 raised through the silent auction, which will go to local charities, the most ever donated in the history of the series.
