Fort Benton Volunteer Fire Department

04/04/2026

Today, Saturday Aprtil 4th, the Fire Department was called into action once again!

The mission.....get the Easter Bunny to the park in time for the egg hunt!! With lights flashing and siren blaring, the fire truck got to the park, with the Bunny riding shotgun, in plenty of time for the kids to race and find the eggs!!!

A special thank you to the Fort Benton Lions Club for putting on this event each year and to the Chouteau County Sheriff's Office, MT for coming out and helping kick things off with their sirens as well!!!

03/21/2026

Fire season is already upon us!! With the abnormally warm winter and lack of moisture, fire season seems to be starting early this year. We have already had several wildfires around the area with a few being driven by high winds. State resources are already being stretched thin because of wildfire starts around the state. Plus, resources just aren't available this early in the season as the state hasn't geared up for the formal wildfire season as yet.

Just a friendly reminder from times past.....if you are planning to burn, please contact the Chouteau County Sheriff's Office, MT for a burn permit. These permits alert the county dispatchers that there is a controlled burn taking place and reduces false call outs for us.

Do not burn in high winds or winds in excess of 10mph. Embers can blow away and spark a wildfire quickly.

Always make sure to have plenty of water on hand in case your burn does get out of control.

Always make sure the entire burn area is cold to the touch before leaving any fire alone.

If you plan on towing a trailer, please make sure all chains are secured and not dragging opn the pavement. Sparks from dragging chains can easily spark a wildfire.

Let's all show due diligence this year and prevent wildfires before they start!!!

03/21/2026

New Fire Starts 🔥
Jefferson (1) and Lewis & Clark (2) Counties
Start Date: 3/20/2026

DNRC is in command and on scene at all three fires, air resources are also responding. County, state, and federal partners are supporting.

Rattlesnake Fire
Location: Lewis & Clark County, West of I-15 by Gates of the Mountain Exit
Size: approx. 40 acres
Cause: Under Investigation
Containment: 0%
Expect delays on I-15 at Gates of Mountain exit, in both directions, local Lewis & Clark County Sheriff's office is on scene controlling traffic. If traveling through the area, slow down and use caution due to emergency vehicle presence.

Golconda Fire
Location: Jefferson County, Southeast of Jefferson City, Tizer Lake Rd:
Size: 5.8 acres
Cause: Under Investigation
Containment: 0%

Ordway Fire
Location: Lewis & Clark County, Northeast of Craig, MT
Size: approx. 70 acres.
Cause: Under Investigation
Containment: 0%
Evacuations: Please avoid the area, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's office has evacuations and road closures in place.

Photo: Rattlesnake Fire

03/09/2026

03/08/2026

Today 3/8 at approximately 1156, we were paged for mutual aid to Geraldine Fire in response to a wildfire on Big Sag Rd area. Additional departments around the county have also been dispatched and the fight is still ongoing. Please keep these firefighters in your thoughts as they continue to battle in these high winds.

02/26/2026

Today at approximately 10:24am, we were paged as mutual aid for Carter VFD for a structural fire in the Floweree area. The fire has been contained but crews will remain on scene for a while to conduct mop up and watch for any new flare ups.
There have been no injuries and no evacuation was needed.

02/26/2026

UPDATE:  The fire has been contained, fire crews will still be on scene for a while in floweree doing mopup. There were no evacuations. 

Road conditions throughout the county depending on wind can change quickly with reduced visibility.  Please use caution while traveling.
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Carter fire along with several mutual aid agencies are currently working a fire in the floweree area. 

Please use caution while driving, due to the winds on Highway 87 around antelope Lake Road there’s limited visibility due to blowing dirt.

02/22/2026

Last night, Feb 22nd at approximately 01:20am ...the Fire Department in connection with Memorial Ambulance of Fort Benton, MT and Chouteau County Sheriff's Office, MT escorted the Longhorn bus back into town as they returned from the state wrestling tournament in Billings. The bus carried some amazing Longhorn athletes who all battled very hard over the past three days!! The boys did great with several athletes placing as did the girls. The Lady Longhorns also brought home the Class B state championship!!!

Congratulations to all of the athletes that battled at state this year!! Go Horns!!!!!

02/13/2026

Last night we hwlped a community member by doing a little controlled burn training.

01/01/2026

Last night, Dec 31st, at approximately 11:57pm, we welcomed in the new year by being paged out to a trailer on fire on the 800 block of Washington St..
With special thanks to the Chouteau County Sheriff's Office, MT deputies, the fire was quickly put out. The only damage was to debris that was on a small flatbed trailer. There was no other damage and no injuries. The cause of the fire is unknown but believed to have possibly been caused by embers from fireworks.

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from our first responder family to yours!! May you have a happy, and safe, holiday season!!