BILLINGS — One person has been confirmed by the Billings Police Department (BPD) to be deceased following a call to an overnight fire around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday.
“I (saw) lights and I got up to use the restroom (at) about, like, 12:30, and I just peeked out the shades and I saw a lot of fire trucks and a lot of police cars," said Martin Lorenzo, who lives next door to the scene of the fire.
The fire took place at 708 12th Street West, where neighbors say they awoke to banging noises and what smelled like "cigar smoke" in the hallways.
“We didn’t see any flames or any smoke; so, nothing. The only thing we did see was the fire trucks," said Tara Watkins, who lives behind the apartment that caught fire.
Though details are scarce about the victim at the time of publishing, neighbors said the person known to live in the unit that caught fire was an older woman, thought to be in her 60s or 70s.
“That is scary. I have a son. So, just knowing that there was something like that going and then someone, of course, passing is scary," said Watkins.
BPD said it is awaiting an autopsy report to confirm any further details.
