One victim transported to Idaho Falls for care; BSFD crew makes ‘incredible stop’ to save adjacent homes
By Jack Reaney ASSOCIATE EDITOR
This story was updated on 4/1 with additional details from a Big Sky Fire Department press release.
On Friday afternoon, the Big Sky Fire Department responded to a reported explosion in the Cascade Ridge neighborhood near the Beehive Basin trailhead. A propane leak is the suspected cause, although that remains under investigation.
The explosion triggered a structure fire which eventually destroyed the home, according to Big Sky Fire Department Deputy Chief Seth Barker. BSFD arrived at 2:53 p.m. and found “a fully involved structure fire,” Barker told EBS in a phone call on Saturday morning. A March 31 BSFD press release estimates the total property damage at $2.75 million.
The occupant suffered life-threatening injuries, according to the release, and was transported by helicopter to Idaho Falls for medical care at a regional burn center.
The responding firefighters—with mutual aid from the Yellowstone Club Fire Department, Bozeman Fire Department, Gallatin Gateway Fire Department, Hyalite Fire Department, and the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office—were able to contain the fire using “an aggressive exposure protection tactic,” saving both neighboring buildings with minimal damage, according to the release. Barker noted that snow made it difficult to access all sides of the building.
“During the response, a large black smoke column was visible from the area, and flames extending 15 [feet] above the roof line of the structure were visible from Lone Mountain Trail,” the BSFD press release stated.
“Our crew did a tremendous job,” Barker said. “With eight guys working yesterday, they made an incredible stop, and saved millions of dollars in property value. They did an incredible job in the first 45 minutes.”
On Saturday at 9:30 a.m., firefighters were still on scene after working through the night.
