Smoke filled the air in Helena on Wednesday morning as firefighters responded to a structure fire in central Helena.
Dispatch received a report of a fire around 6:15 a.m. near the corner of National Avenue and Phoenix Avenue.
According to the Helena Fire Department, the cause is still being investigated, but firefighters are currently looking into a camper that was being inhabited and parked on the side of a warehouse.
"At this point, we're still trying to investigate that, but we believe it started on the exterior from an individual that was camping in a camp trailer next to the building. We believe that was the area of origin, and it made its way from that camper into the eaves, and had made access into the building," said Assistant Fire Chief Mike Chambers.
No injuries have been reported at this time.
"At this time there was only one individual on scene at the time of the fire. They're not injured and there's no other issues or concerns in that area right now," said Chambers.
We will update you if we get more information.
(UPDATE, 11:20 a.m.) The Helena Fire Department released the following information:
Shortly after 6 AM on 11/29/2023, Helena Fire Department responded to a report of a structure fire at 1025 Phoenix Ave. Crews arrived to find a fully involved camper parked next to a medium sized, warehouse style, commercial structure. Fire had already extended into the interior of the building. Firefighters made entry into the building; however, they were forced to retreat due to heavy smoke and dangerous fire conditions. The building was reported to be unoccupied at the time of the incident and did not have a sprinkler fire suppression system.
Due to the building’s contents, extent of fire, and stagnant morning air, smoke and odor are easily detected across the area. The odor of smoke does not pose an immediate hazard to the public. The origin and cause are under investigation, and crews will continue to work in the area. Due to cold temperatures, steam will likely continue to have the appearance of smoke for days to come. Expect added congestion on Montana and National Avenues.
Along with Helena Fire Dept., West Valley Fire, East Valley Fire, Montana City Fire, Veterans Affairs Fire Dept., St. Peter’s Ambulance, Northwestern Energy, and Helena Police worked together to manage the incident. At the time of this release there were no reports of civilian or firefighter injury.
TRENDING:
