A Monday night barn fire destroyed a piece of a Great Falls family’s history, killing several animals and leaving the property owners to begin cleaning up and deciding what comes next.
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Great Falls Fire Rescue was dispatched to 1010 10th Ave. SW at approximately 10:11 p.m. Monday after a report of a barn fire. Crews arrived around 10:18 p.m. and found the barn fully engulfed in flames.
The barn was located a significant distance from the nearest fire hydrant, creating challenges for firefighters as they worked to establish an adequate water supply. Once water was established, crews also faced difficulty reaching the main body of the fire because the barn was connected to additional structures that had caught fire.
Dennis Croxford, whose family owns the property, said his family was inside the home when they heard sirens. When they looked outside, they saw fire trucks along the street before discovering the barn was engulfed.
“You could just see flames as high as could be down here in our barn,” Croxford said. “It was the biggest fire I've ever been involved with or ever seen. You couldn't see the barns at all from the flames.”
The property has been in Croxford’s family for decades. He said his parents built the home in 1955, and they also built the barn that burned in the 1950s.
An attached storage building also sustained significant fire damage. Croxford said the structure had been used by his father to raise chinchillas.
“There was a lot, a lot of damage and probably have to have both of them torn down because of the damage to it,” Croxford said.
The fire required all four on-duty Great Falls Fire Rescue crews to respond. Because all available crews were committed to the incident, off-duty firefighters were recalled to provide emergency response coverage for the rest of the city.
Fire departments from Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Montana Air National Guard also provided mutual aid.
Firefighters worked for more than an hour and a half to bring the blaze under control.
While firefighters battled the flames, Croxford said neighbors were the first to notice the fire and call for help. They then went to the property and released the horses from the corral next to the burning barn, moving them into a larger pasture.
“They came running over to get my horses out of the corral to turn them loose into my big pasture, and that saved them,” Croxford said. “And so we were grateful and appreciative of them.”
The horses were successfully rescued, but seven puppies and their mother died in the fire, along with a number of chickens.
No people were injured, and the fire did not damage the family's primary residence.
Strong winds Monday night pushed smoke from the fire into Great Falls, prompting concern among residents who could see and smell the smoke across the area. Firefighters were ultimately able to contain the blaze to the property.
Despite the loss, Croxford said he is grateful that his family and other animals were able to make it out safely.
“The dogs and the chickens are gone today, but nobody else got hurt and nothing else except the loss of a couple of nice big buildings,” he said.
Croxford said the family does not expect to rebuild the property exactly as it was, but plans to clean it up and make it usable again.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Great Falls Fire Rescue says the fire is not believed to be criminal in nature.
Croxford said he is especially thankful for the firefighters and neighbors who helped protect what remained of the property.
“I'm just grateful for the firefighters,” he said. “They just worked their tail ends off. And really because of them, we were able to save what we have.”
