Galvinn Munson; Brandon Bennett and Jevin McLean appeared in court on Dec. 30 to enter pleas to the charges against them for the Dec. 1 fire in the Gibson Flats area that destroyed 13 homes, 16 outbuildings and numerous vehicles and other property items.

All three appeared in Judge Dave Grubich’s court from the Adult Detention Center.

Munson, 19, is charged with 46 counts.

Three arrested in connection to Dec. 1 Gibson Flats fire

The first count is felony, which is convicted carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and a $50,000 fine, and the county attorney’s office included an alternate charge of negligent arson, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Munson plead not guilty to both of those charges.

He’s also charged with criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1,500 fine, as well as 43 counts of criminal endangerment, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $50,000.

County waives fees for certain permits to rebuild for those affected by Gibson Flats fires

McLean, 19, is charged with a count of felony arson and an alternate count of negligent arson and a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief, accountability, which carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a $1,500 fine.

He plead not guilty to all charges.

Cascade County lifts fire restrictions

Bennett, 18, is charged with arson accountability or negligent arson, tampering with evidence and criminal mischief. He plead not guilty to all charges.

Munson and McLean are scheduled for jury trials in April.

Bennett’s trial date wasn’t in his file so The Electric will update that information next week.

All three were arrested on Dec. 8 and in a press conference that day, Sheriff Jesse Slaughter said that Munson allegedly started the fires intentionally.

Fire burning in Gibson Flats area

Slaughter said that the fire was reported around 2:41 a.m. Dec. 1 and CCSO arrived around 2:44 a.m. to find the fire threatening homes and deputies began evacuating residents.

There were high wind warnings in the area that day, and according to the National Weather Service station in Great Falls, Great Falls broke the record temperature for the day at 67 degrees at 2 p.m. on Dec. 1. The record was 60 degrees in 1985.

County warns Gibson Flats area residents of flooding dangers; need for permit to work in designated flood area

Slaughter said that through the investigation, but the State Fire Marshal’s office, that there were two fires near Highland Road.

The first was only a grassfire that burned about a mile radius. The second burned around 84 acres and destroyed 13 homes, 16 outbuildings and numerous other property.

CCSO officials said that most of the homes, structures and property were lost around Eaton Avenue.

Slaughter said that Dirk Johnson, the state fire marshal who was formerly the fire marshal at Great Falls Fire Rescue, reviewed footage from a residential security camera in the area that showed a vehicle arriving and departing the area near the second fire, which was determined to be where the fire originated.

Cascade County implements Stage 1 fire restrictions

A few days into the investigation, Slaughter said CCSO received tips from the public that three individuals had been in the area setting off fireworks where the fire originated.

Those three were identified as Munson, McLean and Bennett, Slaughter said, and deputies interviewed the three.

During those interviews, Slaughter said that one of them disclosed they’d been driving around the area, smoking marijuana and shooting fireworks at each other inside the vehicle.

Slaughter said that during the investigation, it was determined that Munson had used a roman candle for the first fire, and lighter for the second and started the fires intentionally.

Slaughter said that videos related to the fire had been shared online and that if anyone has those videos to contact CCSO.

Slaughter said that the Great Falls Association of Realtors and Homebuilders Association of Great Falls contacted him about resources available to those who lost their homes in the Dec. 1 fire and that those impacted could contact either of those agencies for information.