GALLATIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
BOZEMAN – On Sunday, Sept. 13 around 11 a.m., a structure fire and explosion was reported at a residence on Rifle Road. Numerous agencies in the area responded and the fire was extinguished less than two hours after the initial report.
The Northern Rockies Type 2 Incident Management Team, which is in the county to assist on the Bridger Foothills Fire, coordinated rapidly with local resources to respond to the fire. Two helicopters working with the Team used buckets to drop approximately 4,000 gallons of water to douse the flames of the fire to keep it from spreading further into the timber. One structure was severely damaged by the fire but no other structures were damaged or lost. One person was treated for minor injuries.
Thirty homes in the area were given pre-evacuation notices by law enforcement on the ground in the following areas: Rifle Road, Winchester Road, Colt Road, Goes Nowhere Road, High Ridge Road, Woodchuck Road and areas of Trail Creek Road. Those who have signed up with the Community Notification System were also remotely notified about the incident.
In addition to 10 Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office deputies who responded, other agencies that assisted included Fort Ellis, Hyalite, Bozeman, Central Valley, Gallatin Gateway and DNRC fire departments, as well as Gallatin County 911, Gallatin County Emergency Management, AMR, Park County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol and U.S. Forest Service law enforcement.
The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all of the agencies involved in the quick, coordinated effort in responding to this incident. While the loss of the residence is devastating to the owners, it is thanks to the rapid response that no one was significantly injured and no other properties were lost.
The recent fires in Gallatin County are a reminder to residents to get signed up for the Community Notification System. The free registration allows you to receive timely information about emergencies in your area such as wildfires, floods, law enforcements standoffs and more.
