I was awakened at 2:00 am this morning with a phone call from Roger at the shop and all he said was, the Blue Moon next door is on fire and I’m starting to take things out of the shop. I rushed down there expecting to see both places on fire. The Blue Moon was totally engulfed by flames. The Melrose and Wise River fire trucks had just arrived and were hosing down the fly shop as the Blue Moon was already a lost cause. The fly shop is fine but the old Blue Moon is totally gone. I was also the manager of that place and and I just felt sick having to call my friends-Clay and Phillip who are the owners and tell them it had burned to the ground. I used to take pride in telling people who had never been here that Divide consisted of the Blue Moon Saloon, Great Divide Outfitters fly shop and a post office, what more do you need. People kept coming by all day today and looking in disbelief that it was gone. Neighbors and friends came by and offered any kind of help they could give. I have to thank my friend and fellow outfitter, Bob Folkedahl who I called at 5:30 this morning and asked if he could take my clients today. He was there in a heart beat.
A piece of history in the Big Hole Valley is gone.