At around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, the Missoula Rural Fire Department received multiple calls about an orange glow and a possible barn on fire off of Highway 93. Deputy Chief Chris Newman says firefighters struggled getting to the scene.

“The home was not being lived in at the time so the driveway, which was roughly 200 to 250 yards, had not been maintained or plowed,” said Newman. “Our first arriving units had a difficult time accessing and by the time they got back to where the residence was, it was fully engulfed in fire.”

Initial arriving crews reported that the entire house was engulfed in flames and a portion of the house had already collapsed. An investigation has already begun in determining what started the fire.

“There was no chance for our guys to save anything so it makes that investigation that much more difficult,” Newman said. “It is not a cop-out it is just one of those things that make sit much tougher. Our guys are out there taking pictures and sifting through as much as they can. We do not have any reason to believe that there is any foul play.”

According to Newman, the official damage estimation has yet to be released.

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