HEART BUTTE — The FBI is offering a reward for information related to the theft of equipment from the Heart Butte Volunteer Fire Department on the Blackfeet Reservation.
In its notice, the FBI’s Billings Field Office said about $60,000 worth of equipment was stolen on Aug. 8. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Watch previous coverage: Heart Butte fire hall vandalized; equipment stolen from volunteer department
Crews discovered the damage on Aug. 8, after they arrived at the fire hall to prepare trucks for a parade. They told MTN News that a back door had been kicked in, cupboard doors had been ripped off, and bathroom doors had been destroyed. Walls in the bay area were also damaged, with drywall scattered across the floor.
Hand tools, turnout gear, and extrication equipment were taken. The department's three engines were stripped of gear, and auxiliary gas pumps used to pump water were also stolen. Two of the trucks were taken to Browning for repair.
Marti Rutherford, chief of Blackfeet Fire Rescue and the Browning Volunteer Fire Department, which oversees Heart Butte, previously told MTN News that she cannot understand why anyone would steal fire equipment.
"We're in the middle of peak of wildland season, and we just lost our gear. What good are we if we have no gear? How do we protect ourselves? If now we can protect those guys for those engines, we can't even run the engine. There's nothing left," Rutherford said.
Rutherford said the department will pull resources from Browning to help cover additional acreage. She has been fielding calls from other departments around Montana offering equipment assistance. The department is working with the tribe to set up a donation zone for the public.
Anyone with information regarding this theft is encouraged to contact the FBI Billings Field Office at (406) 248-8487.
