Great Falls Fire Rescue was dispatched at 11:03 a.m. Jan. 4 to a structure fire at 2930 Carmel Drive.
Truck 4 arrived on scene at 11:05 a.m. to find a structure fire had vented through the living room window of a split level home.
Firefighters from Truck 4 quickly extinguished the fire and kept it from spreading to the rest of the house, according to GFFR.
Truck 4 is the city’s new ladder truck that operates out of Station 4 on Fox Farm Road.
The occupants of the home were not present at the time of the fire, according to GFFR, but had pets in the house.
Two dogs were found deceased, but two cats survived, according to GFFR.
The main level of the house sustained major damage and the cause of the fire is under investigation, according to GFFR.
GFFR called in mutual aid and a second alarm to backfill the rest of the city while crews handled the Carmel Drive house fire.
All four of the city’s engine crews respond to structure fire calls, so GFFR called Malmstrom and Montana Air National Guard fire crews weren’t available, so a second alarm was called, meaning off-duty firefighters were called back to cover the rest of the city.
The American Red Cross was notified and is working to establish assistance for the occupants.
