A fire that broke out at Honest Tom's Casino in Bridger at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday has claimed the lives of two people, confirmed Bridger Police Chief Mike Buechler.
No further information was immediately available Wednesday afternoon, and the investigation is ongoing,reports The Carbon County News.
On scene were the Bridger Police Department, fire departments from Bridger, Fromberg and Belfry, the State Fire Marshal, and the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the Carbon County Sheriff's Office, the two people were found dead in the building when firefighters began "extinguishment" efforts.
“The call came in, 9-1-1," said Chief Mike Buechler, Bridger Police. "I got here. There was smoke billowing out of the door. I tried to yell in to see if anybody was in there. Nobody answered me. I open the screen door trying to see in there. You can only see a couple of feet. I come back out. We got the fire department here as soon as possible. And they discovered two bodies.”
The names of the two people have not yet been released.
The Carbon County Sheriff's Office said that there is an "ongoing collaborative investigation" involving the Bridger Police Department, Montana Division of Criminal Investigations, Montana State Fire Marshal's Office, and the Carbon County Sheriff's Office.
The state crime lab in Billings will handle the autopsy on Thursday, according to Buechler and Carbon County Sheriff Josh McQuillan.
This is a developing story. Check back for details.
