GREAT FALLS – A house destroyed, a loud explosion could be heard for miles and smoke built up as crews battled flames in the early morning hours. The Cascade County Sheriffs Office is investigating what may have caused a home to explode and catch fire near Fox Farm in Great Falls.
Neighbors tell MTN News that the loud boom shook their homes in the Willowdale Lane area at around 2 a.m. on Sunday and across the river, people’s yards were covered in debris from the explosion.
“When we went outside, we saw all the insulation on our lawn. And then when we looked up, just in front of us, there was this pillar of smoke and fire," one nearby resident told us.
A man who lives a few houses away says he and others quickly jumped into action to help their neighbors.
“For some reason, God up there sent us around the back instead of in the front of the house and all the windows were blowing out. Every window was blowing out," Russell Taylor said.
He was able to get a man and a woman out of the home safely but he doesn’t consider himself a hero, "like heck of a good neighbor. They’re exceptional people. I’m just glad I can help him," Taylor said.
There’s now word yet on what sparked the fire and explosion.
