Local bands raise money for firefighters and those impacted by the Paddock Fire in Emmett

EMMETT, Idaho (KIVI) — The community of Emmett came together Tuesday night at a benefit concert to raise money for firefighters and those impacted by the Paddock Fire. Local bands played at the Emmett City Park Band Shell for hours, collecting donations from the community.

Nick Davis and The Timberbutte Boys were the headliners for the benefit concert. All donations collected will be dispersed to those impacted by the Paddock Fire and firefighters that are still in need of supplies. Other local businesses, like ‘Your Name On This’ of Emmett, were selling merchandise at the event, with the majority of the proceeds going to firefighters and those in need.

“So I wanted to do something, this is definitely a passion project for me, bringing everyone together and just helping out the community,” says Michelle Tuss, who lives in Emmett.

She figured the best way to help out her community was to put on a benefit concert.

“So Nick Davis and The Timberbutte Boys have agreed to put on a benefit concert for the Paddock Fire to raise money for the firefighters and those impacted by the fire. There have been ranchers that have lost livestock and fencing and grazing grounds and we want to help raise money to go back to the community that have helped the firefighters that are here,” says Tuss.

“I think that it’s our job as citizens to give back to the people that give to us,” says Nick Davis, the headliner for Tuesday night’s concert.

He tells me he has seen the impact of the Paddock Fire first-hand.

“My grandfolk’s place was catching on fire. I went up and fought that. The night before I helped move cows out of the way of the flames and then my brother’s place also caught on fire, his place about burned up and I helped put that out,” says Davis.

Though he was able to help save his family’s property, he tells me others in the community weren’t as fortunate.

“A good friend of mine lost his house up there in the fire, good friends have lost their barns. There’s cows that have burnt up in the fire. I mean it’s a huge impact,” says Davis. “All we can do, like I said, is be there to try to help everybody because everybody helps each other and that’s the way these small communities work.”

“It brings us all together and it shows us that no matter what happens we’re still as strong together and we can face anything that comes our way and this kind of community, small town everybody knows everybody, we got to be there for each other,” added Tuss.