Firefighters responded to a structure fire off Douglas Circle on Tuesday morning.
West Valley Fire was paged just before 11 a.m. when a passerby reported seeing flames and heavy smoke from a barn.
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Clancy resident David Luby was house-sitting for a neighbor just next door when the incident took place.
“I heard a loud boom and then went outside to go check what was going on, and saw a huge fire, huge fire,” Luby said. “It was definitely shocking, and I knew it was urgent to get out of there as soon as I possibly could.”
The owners of the barn were home at the time and did not want to speak with MTN.
West Valley Fire Chief David Hamilton says the barn was uninhabited and no injuries were reported.
The barn was fully destroyed, along with a lawn mower, snowblower, and other various tools.
In the moment, Luby says he did his best to act quickly and get himself and the neighbor’s valuables to safety.
“I just made it my mission to see if everything was in the house, and get everything out that I needed to get out,” Luby continued, “and the dog was the highest priority in that.”
Along with West Valley Fire Rescue, other responding agencies include East Valley VFD, Tri-Lakes VFD, Fort Harrison VA Fire Department, Montana City VFD, Clancy VFD, DNRC, Northwestern Energy, and the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office. Fire crews were able to put out the fire within an hour.
“It's comforting to know we have a good fire department and good sheriffs,” Luby stated. “They're really nice people.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. We’ll provide updates as they come in.
