HELENA — Jacque Trude is a beloved swim instructor in the Helena community, and on Sunday, April 20, 2025, she lost her home and all of her pets in a house fire.
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“I was just devastated and I didn’t think it was true," Trude says.
Trude left for an Easter service at church just after ten in the morning, and by eleven, the entire house was consumed by flames.
Fire departments from Helena, Montana City, and East Helena responded to the fire. They made every effort to save her five pets that were inside.
One firefighter was injured but has since been released from the hospital.
Trude recalls how she found out she had lost everything.
“Well, I turn off my phone, I silence it when I am in church and after church, I hear it buzz, so I pick it up quickly," Trude says. "My neighbor up here, she said Oh, you are alive, Jacque’s alive. I said, What is going on? And she said your house is gone, and so are your pets.”
Although the responding fire departments have yet to determine the cause, Trude believes her fireplace may have ultimately ignited the fire.
“[Fire Crews] were here all day," Trude says. "They finally brought in an in loader and tumbled it to try to get down the heat. It was up past two thousand degrees."
The heat was so extreme that it melted her swimming pool.
Fire departments have continued to check on the fire twice daily, and on Thursday morning, the fire reignited.
Trude has been a swim instructor for years and taught at the YMCA in Helena, and continues to teach swim lessons around the area.
“A lot of it is for fun," Trude says. "I try to give back to the community for the people who cannot afford it, I try to give it to them for free.”
To the community she has dedicated so much time to, she is thankful they have supported her in a time of need.
“It’s a great community, what they have done for me is just overwhelming. It is nice to know you have made a difference and I feel like God’s hand is on this," Trude says.
She lived in her home for almost twenty years and plans to rebuild on top of the tragedy because it is still her home.
If you would like to support Jacque and her family as they rebuild, both cash and check donations are being accepted at the Helena YMCA.
A GoFundMe has also been created; click here if you would like to donate.
