NEAR BYNUM — A fire destroyed a house in Teton County on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, along 26th Road NW, north of Choteau and east of Bynum.
No people were injured, but the owners believe two of their pets perished in the fire.
Chris Hindoien, the mayor of the town of Choteau, said just after 5 p.m. that several agencies from across Teton County have responded to the fire.
Firefighters from Choteau, Pendroy, and Fairfield responded, as well as water trucks from the Teton County Road Department.
Once the fire was extinguished, crews continued working into the night to demolish the remaining bits of the house left standing to prevent any start up overnight and into Friday, with high temperatures and winds expected in the area.
Aaron Leys of the Choteau Fire Department said, “We’ve got high winds forecasted and a hot day. A house in a pile won’t ignite as easily as a house still-standing with the wind blowing through it.”
The homeowner said that nobody was inside when the fire started on the northwest side of the garage. He speculates it could have been caused by faulty electrics, but fire officials are continuing to investigate.
The family was able to collect a few belongings before the smoke became too much to handle.
The owner’s wife ran into the house to save their pets, but two of them are believed to have died in the fire.
A family member has created a fundraising page to help:
My sister Tegan Kesler and husband Craig Kesler lost their home and 2 of their 3 pets in a house fire today. We are thankful Tegan, Craig and their kids were not in the home and are all safe, but devastated at the loss and complete desolation of their home and all belongings.
Click here if you would like to donate.
We will update you if we get more information.
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