A Laurel company’s ability to fight wildfires is in jeopardy after equipment, including a fuel service truck, was reportedly stolen from a Butte hotel on Monday morning.
According to Will Metz, President of Vigilante Helicopters, a 2015 Ford F-350 dually pickup with the plate number MT 3-73404B was stolen from the Best Western in Butte.
The truck has a wood rack containing the tubs and Bambi firefighting water bucket model 2732 (324 gallons). The bucket has a value of $20,000. Also in the truck was a Bendix King Forestry P25 digital handheld radio valued at approximately $1,500.
“More importantly, is all our DOT logs and permits to carry hazmat and loss of truck we will be out of business and lost revenue if we get dispatched to another fire from this location before we can arrange a backup or replacement,” Metz said in an email to MTN News.
Metz said the DOT signs on the side of the truck are magnetic and say “Vigilante Helicopters Laurel MT 59044.”
“This truck is in mint condition with only approx 25,000 miles on it,” Metz said. “The morning it was stolen it was full of fuel.”
If you have information about this incident, please contact law enforcement or Metz at (406) 698-1366.
The incident remains under investigation at this time.
