Resident asks council for aid after corral fire; first responders defend response

Janet Hartford told the Green River City Council she and other boarders suffered major losses from a May 1 corral fire and asked the council to waive the pavilion fee for a May 9 fundraiser and help obtain incident reports.

"There were 12 people," Hartford said, and "I added it up and it's about $35,800," naming neighbors and listing donations and local groups that provided hay, temporary corrals and supplies. She said she called dispatch twice and that an incident report from the sheriff and the fire chief was still pending.

The request mattered to council members, who offered condolences and thanked volunteers and first responders. The presiding official said the council would look into Hartford's requests and follow up with staff.

A separate speaker who identified as an agency official disputed suggestions responders failed to act. The official defended the multi‑agency response — police, firefighters and dispatch — and said crews "saved every horse they could" and worked to protect equipment, adding that crews nearly lost a pumper apparatus during the incident.

The exchange highlighted two strands: residents urging additional follow-up, donations and recovery help for households that lost property, and officials emphasizing the scope and risks first responders faced while fighting the blaze.

The council did not take formal action on Hartford's waiver request during the meeting; members said they would investigate the sequence of response, review incident reports when available and consider assistance or administrative fee waivers as appropriate.

Next steps noted at the meeting included staff follow-up to obtain incident reports from the sheriff's office and the fire department and to provide council with additional information on potential fee waivers or logistical support for planned fundraisers.