The total number of fires for 2024 was down from 2023, but more building fires occurred during the last few months of the year into this year with significantly higher property and content loss.

It seemed like a busy few months for Great Falls Fire, but The Electric asked GFFR for call numbers and further details.

Great Falls Fire Marshal Mike McIntosh said that November through January of this year had been busier with building fires than the same time the previous year, but overall, there were more fires in 2023 than 2024.

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In 2023, there were 111 fires that GFFR responded to, according to their data.

In 2024, that number was 88.

But for building fires, there were none in in November or December of 2023 and six in January of 2024.

Recently, those numbers were up with 14 over the same time period, with four in November, seven fires in December and three in January, according to GFFR.

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Of those fires from November 2024 through Jan. 31, 2025, six or seven of those fires have been related to smoking materials, McIntosh said, particularly those with large property losses.

In December 2024, GFFR responded to three fires in under 24 hours that were caused by improper disposal of smoking materials.

Ten people escaped a house fire early Sunday morning on Jan. 19 in Riverview that destroyed a house and camper in the front driveway.

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The cause of that fire was deemed undetermined since investigators didn’t have enough evidence to conclusively determine the cause, McIntosh said.

On Jan. 26, GFFR responded to a fire at Ski’s Western Motel on 10th Avenue South. A room and the occupants personal belongings were destroyed in the fire, which was stated by the unintentional placement of clothing on top of a heating unit, according to GFFR.

GFFR responded to a mobile home fire on Jan. 29 that send one male to the hospital with burns. Investigators determined it was probable the fire was started by smoking materials, according to GFFR.

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In 2023, the property loss was $1,057,150 and contents were $202,800.

In 2024, the property loss was $1,99,550 and contents were $732,360, according to GFFR data.

That was an increase of $942,400 in property losses and $529,560 in content losses in 2024 over 2023, according to GFFR.

From Nov. 1, 2023 through Jan. 31, 2024, the property losses were $351,500 and content losses were $64,000.

From Nov. 1, 2024 through Jan. 31, 2025, property losses totalled $518,700 and content losses were $269,350.

That’s an increase of $167,200 in property losses and $205,350 in content losses in 2024 over 2023, according to GFFR data.

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McIntosh said that building fires take more time and resources and GFFR has had to call back off-duty firefighters, as well as mutual aid from Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Montana Air National Guard fire departments.

For the months of November, December and January, GFFR’s overtime costs also increased this year.

GFFR Chief Jeremy Jones said the increased number of structure fires has overtime and operational impacts.

He said that GFFR is already two percent over their overtime budget, but are only about halfway through the fiscal year.

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The overtime issue is affected by callbacks, but also because the department is at minimum manning with a few people on light duty due to temporary health conditions, such as injuries.

For the months of November, December and January, overtime hours and costs at GFFR have been:

• 2022/2023: 128.5 hours, $6,624
• 2023/2024: 21 hours, $1,181
• 2024/2025: 177 hours, $9,636

The increase in structure fires comes as GFFR is asking the City Commission to fund $2.5 million in non-voted general obligation debt to revamp their training center, which is largely unusable for training.

The lack of training center comes with a potential cost, either in loss of property or injuries and since a training center is a factor in the Insurance Services Office’s determination of the city’s rating, which directly impacts insurance residential and commercial property insurance premiums.

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During the Jan. 21 City Commission work session, GFFR Chief Jeremy Jones presented a proposal for $2.5 million, financed through non-voted general obligation debt, to revamp the training center.

The facility includes a five-story training tower that has been condemned and largely unusable since the spring of 2020 and in November, the two remaining roof props also failed; a general training building that currently has limited uses without electricity or heat; and a classroom building that gophers have damaged.

Jones and McIntosh have also presented multiple changes to commissioners in recent months to strengthen fire prevention since they don’t have enough resources to meet national response standards and their budget resources are limited.