Holtan fighting fires in Alaska

Billy Holtan, back row, far right, has been at the forefront of firefighting efforts in the Alaskan wilderness this summer. As part of the Grande Rondel rappel crew, seen here, Holtan has taken on blazes in what is known as the Lime Complex, which consists of almost 21 million acres and has witnessed almost 820,000 acres worth of combined fires. There are 18 fires going on at the moment in the complex as of Sunday, July 10, with two of those staffed and 16 unstaffed. Holtan is currently part of the fight at the Pike Creek and Koktuli River fires, totaling 284,288 acres.

He is the son of Bill and Laurel Holtan of Kensal, and is a 2016 graduate of Carrington High School. He graduated from Northern State University in Aberdeen, S.D., where he was a member of the Wolves' wrestling program. (Photo by Eve Baker, Alaska Incident Management Team)