A massive fire destroyed a 30,000-square-foot commercial building at Montana Timberline Firewood Company on Tuesday evening, leaving one person with serious burn injuries and requiring help from 16 fire departments across the Flathead.
Evergreen Fire Rescue responded to the blaze at 1960 Helena Flats Road shortly before 9:15 p.m. on Dec. 30.
The incident was quickly upgraded to a second alarm when crews arrived to find heavy smoke and flames that were visible from several miles away.
Firefighters arrived to find the entire commercial building engulfed in flames. The structure contained cut and stacked firewood along with various heavy equipment.
Watch previous coverage: 1 person critically injured after major fire sparks near Kalispell
"Command was established and incoming units immediately began defensive operations to protect adjacent equipment and structures," fire officials stated in a news release.
The lack of an on-site water supply complicated firefighting efforts, requiring additional water tenders from multiple departments to transport water from sources located several miles away.
One person sustained serious burn injuries and was transported to Logan Health before being flown to a burn center in Salt Lake City.
Firefighters worked through the night and into Wednesday, containing the blaze at approximately 1 p.m. on December 31.
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Fire officials say that while the commercial building was destroyed, crews were able to protect nearby heavy equipment and structures from the flames.
The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation.
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