Montana State University–Billings professor and author A.J. Otjen visits on Saturday, August 31, from 2 to 4 pm to sign copies of her book, Burned Over: The Survival of Montana Firefighter Dan Steffensen.
“On July 16, 2021, Montana firefighter Dan Steffensen was burned over while trying to outrun a wall of fire. He suffered 3rd degree burns over 60% of his body. He should have died that night. …
“This is not just a fire story. It’s a human story about the town of Red Lodge, Montana, during what is still called the ‘Summer of Hell,’ when Dan’s burnover was just one of many horrific tragedies. It is about firefighters and their families and how they responded when, as Dan says, ‘Shit happens fast.'”
A.J. Otjen lives in Laurel, Montana. Originally from Oklahoma, Dr. Agnes J. Otjen has been a professor of marketing for over twenty years at Montana State University in Billings. Before becoming a professor, she was a marketing executive for over twenty years, in Colorado, Nevada and Missouri. In addition to numerous newspaper and journal articles, A.J. has written, collaborated on, and published children’s books that have been accepted by Indian Education for All in the Office of Public Instruction and chosen for award recognition in 2023 by the Library of Congress.
