PINE VALLEY, Utah — Time has flown since the wildfires of last summer burned through Pine Valley. There’s no better example of that than how quickly people are rebuilding, and one of the youngest is trying to lead efforts to bring back his favorite fishing hole.
Boston Thiriot said the damaging fire gave him a chance to see what had happened to Pine Valley and how the 17-year-old could improve the community.
Thiriot comes from six generations that have called Pine Valley home. His great-great-great-grandfather, James Bracken, was one of the people who settled the area, while his older brother, Bracken, led the effort to build a bridge near the reservoir a couple of years ago for his Eagle Scout project.
Now, Boston is trying to raise funds to rebuild the pier for his project.
Boston wants to provide ADA accessibility to the dock and is working with the U.S. Forest Service to make it happen. While the fire did not destroy the dock, generations of use wore it down.
"Washington County and Pine Valley is a great, wonderful community, and we do a lot together, and we rise together and help one another," explained Boston's father, Bryan.
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Pine Valley is rising from the devastating wildfire, with most of the 13 homes destroyed by the flames either rebuilt or nearly done.
The Forest Service said crews hand-planted 80,000 trees in April and have worked to stabilize slopes and repair trails, and shared how nature is returning to the burn areas of the Pine Valley Recreation Area, although it and the reservoir will remain closed until next year, and trespassers will be fined.
However, Boston will be permitted to go iin with others in June to rebuild the dock. But it’s still only a possibility as he has raised just $7,000 of the $10,000 he hopes to raise.
