Vaughn, MT – A house fire near Vaughn on Thursday morning, March 20, left a family without a home and resulted in the tragic death of three dogs. Fortunately, no human injuries were reported, and the fire was contained within hours.
The blaze erupted at approximately 8:45 a.m. just off I-15, east of Vaughn, in a home being built by Mike Flint and his family. The fire’s cause was determined to be an accidental start, with Cascade County Sheriff’s fire investigators concluding that a battery inside a camper had overloaded and melted through, igniting the fire.
Sun River Fire Battalion Chief Dereck Belz explained, “It was an accidental start. The battery inside the camper overheated, which led to the fire.”
Despite the fast-moving flames, multiple firefighting agencies responded quickly and prevented the fire from spreading beyond the home. “We had a pretty quick response on top of it; we contained it before it got into the stubble on the fields, which would have led to a wildfire,” said Belz. The fire was fully contained within a few hours, preventing further damage to surrounding areas.
Mike Flint and his family were not home at the time of the fire. They had been in the process of building their dream home on land they purchased in 2020. “We bought the land at the end of 2020, and we moved here in June of 2021. I’m a builder; I’ll build it again, build it better,” Flint said, expressing his resolve to rebuild despite the setback.
While one of the family’s four dogs was found alive, three others were trapped inside and perished in the fire. The loss of the pets has added to the family’s grief during this difficult time.
The fire departments that responded to the blaze included Vaughn, Sun River, Gore Hill, Power, Sun Prairie, Montana Air National Guard, Black Eagle, and Great Falls.
In the wake of the fire, the American Red Cross has been contacted to assist the Flint family with temporary housing, food, and clothing. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family recover from their loss. The page reads: “My family has lost everything, and even the smallest donations can help with securing long-term housing, repurchasing essential destroyed items, and returning to a fulfilling home life.”
The Flint family, though devastated by the loss, is grateful for the quick response of the fire agencies and the outpouring of community support. As they begin the difficult task of rebuilding, the community continues to rally around them, offering assistance and donations to help them get back on their feet.
