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Three males charged with arson for fire that destroyed 13 homes in Montana

Suspects fire Gibson Flats, MT
L to R: Brandon Cordell Bennett Jr., Jevin James Mclean, Galvinn Coates Munson. Photo: Cascade County Detention Center.

Three teens have been charged with arson for starting two fires last week, one of which destroyed 13 homes, 16 outbuildings, and numerous vehicles in Gibson Flats just south of Great Falls, Montana.

Those charged were Brandon Cordell Bennett, Jr. 18; Jevin James Mclean, 19; and Galvinn Coates Munson, 19; all of Great Falls.

Munson was also charged with 15 counts of criminal endangerment. Bennett received an additional charge of tampering with evidence for reportedly “wiping” his phone.

The two fires, which burned about 120 acres, started at around 2:40 a.m. December 1 pushed by strong winds gusting at more than 50 mph.

“One of the defendants disclosed that all three of them were driving around the area the night this occurred smoking marijuana and shooting fireworks at each other inside the vehicle,” Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter said in a news conference.

The Sheriff said the fact that no one was killed was a “complete miracle.”

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