Tom Downing

Tom Downing

Tom Downing was the Department of Natural Resources Assistant District Forester and assistant DNR Regional Fire Coordinator. His boss, Andy Petree, sent him to Spearfish County to see the extent of the fire and offer advice because they didn't have any equipment to send.^BHF7

He is introduced as Tom Dunning in Birdwatcher Hill Fire Chapter 7 and still has that name in Chapter 12 but in Chapters 16, 17, 18, and 20 he is Tom Downing.

He got off on the wrong foot with Clint Bork by suggesting Jack Erikson and Vixen Hvalchek might have set the fire, made it worse by saying the DNR policy on natural fires is to let them burn before saying that he was supposed to take charge.^BHF18

Ryan Clark talked to Tom about the forest being a crop not natural, including the DNR land which Clark Plywood managed under contract.^BHF20