Fire crews could not immediately operate normally while police secured an active shooting scene that rapidly became engulfed in flames.
BILLINGS, Mont. — Firefighters responding to a burning home where multiple adults and children died Sunday were forced to limit their operations while law enforcement dealt with active gunfire, officials said, allowing conditions inside the Billings residence to worsen before crews could fully attack the blaze.
The unusual combination of an active shooting and a rapidly growing structure fire created competing dangers for police, firefighters and people inside the home at 315 White Star Circle. Billings Fire Chief Matt Hoppel said crews could not work as they normally would until the shooting scene was secured, limiting their ability to reach the residence and remove people from inside.
A 911 call reporting a shooting came in at 6:01 p.m. Aug. 23. Authorities said gunshots could be heard during the call. The first police officer arrived at 6:12 p.m., and officials said additional shots were fired from behind the home around that time. Three minutes later, smoke was visible and the residence was becoming fully engulfed.
Hoppel said the restricted access created significant problems for firefighters as the incident unfolded. “The delay and limited access presents significant challenges,” he said. Fire conditions continued to deteriorate while officers worked to control the threat, and the house was ultimately consumed by the blaze.
Officials later confirmed that multiple adults and multiple juveniles died. Authorities have identified everyone involved but have not publicly released the exact number of victims, their names or their ages. A male suspect was taken to a hospital with what police described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and later died.
The conditions that made the initial fire response difficult are also complicating the investigation. Interim Yellowstone County Sheriff Kent O’Donnell said flames caused extensive damage and that water used during firefighting efforts further affected the scene. Investigators must now recover and evaluate evidence from the heavily damaged property while determining how the shooting and fire unfolded.
The emergency drew a large multiagency response. Billings police and Yellowstone County sheriff’s deputies worked alongside firefighters and other public safety agencies while the surrounding block was evacuated. Both entrances to the White Star Circle cul-de-sac remained controlled as investigators continued searching the property for evidence.
Authorities said the incident began as a family disturbance but have not released details about what triggered it. They also have not publicly established the cause of the fire or described the precise order in which the victims died. Those questions remain part of the continuing homicide investigation.
Officials later said the neighborhood was secure and there was no continuing threat to the public, though access around the scene remained restricted during evidence recovery. Another update was expected Wednesday as investigators continue examining the burned home and working to establish a fuller account of the shooting and fire.
Author note: Last updated August 25, 2026.