BOZEMAN — Fire crews from multiple agencies responded to a structure fire in the 400 block of Royal Road in Belgrade on Wednesday morning, according to the Central Valley Fire District (CVFD).
CVFD first reported the blaze on social media around 7:40 a.m. Wednesday. Bozeman Fire also responded to provide mutual aid and reported defensive fire operations were underway.
Defensive fire operations are conducted from the exterior of a structure when crews are unable to initiate an interior attack.
CVFD Interim Fire Marshal Jake Zlomie told MTN’s Donna Kelley they received the call around 7:30 a.m. and arrived approximately nine minutes later to find the structure on fire.
The owner reportedly thought she heard what sounded like a garbage truck, saw the smoke and flames, and called in the fire.
Marshal Zlomie said an initial challenge was no fire hydrants at the scene. Crews secured a water supply from the nearest fire hydrant a couple of blocks away at the intersection of Royal Road and Thorpe Road.
There were no injuries to report, and no emergency responders entered the structure.
Zlomie said the first engine crew did a very good job of preventing the fire from spreading to the house, only about ten feet away.
The outbuilding is a total loss, as are a couple of vehicles, a semi, a skid steer loader, along with tools and other machinery.
The fire was under control a little more than an hour later.
Responding agencies included Bozeman Fire, Hyalite Fire, Gallatin Gateway Fire, Amsterdam Fire, Manhattan Fire, AMR Medical, NorthWestern Energy, and the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
This story has been updated with additional information from the Central Valley Fire District.
