Kirkland got her kids out first, and tried to put the flames out with an extinguisher to no avail. When she got out of her home, the house “went up.”

Kirkand, her children and their pets would not have made it out if it weren’t for her son smelling the smoke.

“If it wouldn’t have been for him and when he woke up, we would not be okay,” she said.

Law enforcement arrived first. Fire crews came soon after. Firefighters from the Hyalite Rural Fire District were the first fire crews to arrive. Fire Chief Chris Dahlhauser said that his department was dispatched to the mobile home park at 5:45 a.m.

He said when the first fire engine arrived there was a “significant amount of fire” coming from Jessica’s home. The close proximity of other mobile homes to the flames created challenges for firefighters, Dahlhauser said.

“Anytime you get large amounts of fire you get large amounts of radiant heat, which has the possibility of starting anything around it on fire,” he said.

The first priority was to make sure the fire was contained so that it could not leap to other homes. Dahlhauser said that firefighters set out hoses and cooled surrounding structures and that the fire was contained after roughly two hours.

All the surrounding homes were protected, he added.

Several other emergency response agencies came to help quench the fire, including the Bozeman Fire Department, the Central Valley Fire District and the Gallatin Gateway Fire Department. At least 30 people were working to contain the flames, Dahlhauser said.

Dahlhauser said that the cause of the fire is still under investigation. He urged that people make sure their smoke detectors are functional, and that the they have fresh batteries installed.

Despite the actions of first responders, Jessica’s home could not be saved.

Kirkland said she and her family are taking donations, but that many of their immediate needs have been met. A family friend is donating equipment to rip down the rest of her home and clean up debris from the fire.

Republic Services is donating a dumpster to collect the debris, too. A neighbor is helping to get the family furniture, and another is setting up a benefit concert, Kirkland said.

The biggest need, a new mobile home, still has not been met.

Fred Kirkland, Jessica’s father, said that there are some leads on a new home for his daughter in Billings for a reasonable price. Another person has offered to cover gas and travel to pick up a new mobile home when they find one, too.

Fred was thankful for all the support for his daughter and grandchildren. He was even more proud of his grandson.

“I’m pretty proud… to know that he was man enough to get the job done,” he said.

People can donate to the Kirklands on Venmo at connie-kirkland-2, and on Cashapp at $lilspazz88. The Kirklands are also accepting donations by check, which can be sent to P.O. Box 11407, Bozeman, MT, 59719.