BOZEMAN — A large plume of smoke filled the sky over Bozeman last Friday, signaling the start of a devastating fire that destroyed part of a home and left one family in need of help.
Watch the full video below:
“I just stood back there and watched it go,” said longtime Bozeman resident Logan Cochran.
Cochran, a fence contractor, has lived in Bozeman his entire life. Outside of work, he enjoys camping, hiking and fishing with his wife and five children. Much of their recreational gear was stored in the garage — the same garage they suddenly lost last week.
“I was inside at the table here, and I heard a loud explosion,” Cochran recalled. “It sounded like… I don’t know. I’ve never heard anything like that.”
The source, he said, was his 2024 Ford Bronco Raptor, which had spontaneously caught fire.
“I opened the door and saw the Bronco over here with 20-foot-tall flames coming off of it,” Cochran said.
His first priority was getting everyone out of the house — including two dogs and seven puppies the family welcomed just weeks ago. Once they were safe, Cochran moved his truck and trailer to the street.
“But by the time I got that out onto the street and came back, these other two bays of the garage had started on fire,” he said.
Emergency crews from Central Valley, Bozeman Fire, Hyalite Fire, Gallatin Gateway, Fort Ellis, Bridger Canyon and Amsterdam Fire responded to the scene.
“Then at that point, I knew there was nothing really I could do,” Cochran said.
The garage — filled with years of work and possessions — burned to the ground. As he surveyed the remains, Cochran pointed to his 1970 restored Ford Bronco.
“It looked nothing like that a few days ago,” he said.
Thanks to fast-working firefighters, most of the family’s log cabin-style home was saved.
“You can see at the top where it started to come through,” Cochran said, indicating damage to the house. “They said five more minutes, and we wouldn’t be standing here.”
Between the lost items and structural repairs, Cochran estimates damages at around $800,000.
The family moved into their dream home just months ago — using all of their savings — but had not yet secured insurance.
“We were just so busy with the five kids and all the things,” Cochran said. “We got multiple quotes but were still deciding what way to go. And life just got busy.”
For now, the family is living in their trailer. Cochran says he is grateful for the community’s support.
“Everybody’s helped a lot,” he said. “And the firefighters — everybody that helped save this as much as they could. I really appreciate it.”
