Phil Anselmo Honored with Native Blankets at Wildfire Benefit

Fire season has begun to die down across much of the West. We are still seeing fire activity linger around some of this past wildfire season.

According to mtfireinfo.org, a total of 50 active fires continue to burn across Montana.

• Remington Fire in SE MT has burned 196,368 acres
• Daly Fire in the Bitterroot has burned 6,816 acres
• Johnson Fire in the Bitterroot has burned 6,687 acres
• Grouse Fire near Wise River has burned 6,009 acres
• Sharrot Fire near Stevensville has burned 3,214 acres

Montana isn't the only state dealing with a disastrous wildfire season. Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and New Mexico also saw much of their forests burn this season.

Get our free mobile app

The Apache Tribe in New Mexico has recently battled a blaze that burned over 17,000 acres. Draining not only state resources but also tribal resources.

Fans of the bands like "Pantera" and "Down" are going to appreciate who came to the rescue. Pantera/Down frontman, Phil Anselmo, and the rest of his band "Down" performed a wildfire benefit concert at the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Mescalero, NM.

To show their appreciation for the generosity of the heavy metal band, Apache tribal members adorned the band with ceremonial handmade blankets. Footage of the Native American ceremony landed on the casino's social media page.

Fans commented on the page asking what the blankets symbolized in Apache culture. Another fan, Jefferson Bill-Yacht replied:

Blankets symbolize protection in our tribe. Especially when they're handmade. They're offered with prayers for the people you gift them to.

It is cool to see bands like Down support disaster relief efforts like this. It would be nice if bands flocked to Montana every summer for the same reason.