BILLINGS — A small brush fire near the Annafeld subdivision south of Billings sent smoke across the neighborhood Sunday afternoon, alarming residents and raising concerns about wildfire risk in neighborhoods where homes sit only feet apart.
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A combination of high winds and dry conditions allowed the fire to grow quickly before neighbors and firefighters were able to contain it. No homes were damaged.
For residents like Heidi Mitchell, the sudden smoke was coming from just feet outside her home.
"We couldn't even see out of our window, there was so much smoke," said Mitchell. "So of course, then the panic started."
A small burn had grown out of control, according to neighbors. As wind gusts neared 70 mph, flames moved closer to homes in the subdivision.
“The wind, I mean, just not knowing it could carry a spark. It was very scary," said Mitchell.
Out of precaution, Mitchell and her family evacuated to her mother’s home nearby. Before firefighters arrived, neighbors had already rushed to help.
“People were just already out there, like at least 10 to 12 people were just already helping put out the fire," said Mitchell. "Brings me to tears just knowing that when people see an emergency here, they just run, and they were putting themselves in harm's way to just help put it out."
Among them were Jonathan and Lacey Allison, who live several blocks away. The couple noticed heavy smoke outside their home and grabbed a shovel to help extinguish the flames.
"It was, 'Okay, let's go see if I can help or if I can do anything,'” said Jonathan Allison. “(I) started cutting the line and just trying to make the fires stop getting further because I didn't want it to jump the road or start getting over to the houses."
They say the fire was extinguished within an hour. For neighbors, the experience was both intense and reassuring.
"It was like really like all hands on deck," said Lacey Allison. "It was very high adrenaline, but it was a cool experience to see everybody come together and help.”
Emergency officials said fires like Sunday’s are becoming more common, especially as unseasonably warm winters and windy conditions dry out vegetation earlier in the year.
Derek Yeager, director of disaster and emergency services for Yellowstone County, said wildland fires are already occurring more frequently than usual.
“What is unusual about this year is that we've had fairly significant wildland fires all 12 months of this last calendar year," said Yeager. "Already this year, there's been as many fires in January and February as there was in a whole quarter of last year.”
Annafeld, like many newer subdivisions across the country, features homes built close together. While many homes are built with fire-rated soffit, a design that aims to protect against fires, the neighborhood itself is vulnerable to larger fires because homes are so close together.
“Any time you have valuables in proximity to fire, to natural vegetation or even yard debris, yard decorations, landscaping, all of that that is susceptible to burn becomes available in a fire," said Yeager.
Urban wildfire risk has become an increasing concern in recent years. In 2021, the Marshall Fire near Denver destroyed over 1,000 homes as powerful winds pushed flames rapidly through multiple subdivisions.
"Under those kinds of conditions, fire develops very, very quickly, spreads very fast,” said Yeager.
The fire near Annafeld was not the only blaze firefighters responded to on Sunday. Crews also battled a grass fire near Yellowstone Trail Road between Lockwood and Huntley that burned 83 acres before it was contained around 6 p.m.
Yeager said that fire was sparked by dragging chains from a truck pulling a trailer, which ignited dry grass in strong winds. No homes or buildings were damaged. He said several other areas in the county are being monitored because of similar wildfire risk.
“If you get prolonged periods of warm, dry, windy, and no moisture, it's just not a good formula," said Yeager.
Yeager urges residents to be cautious with outdoor burning and to pay close attention to weather conditions.
"You have to realize that this is a little bit of a nonstandard year, so if you have burning to be done, checking the weather, understanding what is going on," said Yeager. "Be prepared. If you light that match to burn that debris, that field, that pile, whatever that looks like, you're absolutely responsible for, so take the steps to understand what is needed.”
For some Annafeld residents, Sunday’s scare has changed how they think about fire risk in their neighborhood.
"I didn't honestly have a lot of concerns before yesterday, but knowing how little snow we've had and how little rain, my radar is up now," said Mitchell.
All agreed that the incident also showed the strength of the community.
"It's a little nerve-wracking thinking about worst-case scenarios where a field catches on fire, or we're surrounded by construction, like something goes wrong there,” said Lacey Allison. “Hopefully, if anything does happen, we'll have some community to fall back on."
"I knew it was a good neighborhood, but I really know now," said Mitchell.
