Dan Yonkin News Today

McClure was guilty of starting the approximately 18-acre Finley fire on Evaro Hill and the devastating Boulder 2700 fire, July 31, 2021, on the east shore of Flathead Lake. The latter blaze burned 2,589 acres, consumed 14 homes and 17 other structures, and forced the evacuation of Finley Point.

Former firefighter Craig McClure was found guilty Feb. 8 on two of four counts of arson after a dramatic four-day trial at the Lake County Courthouse.

During opening statements in the trial against accused arsonist Craig McCrea, Assistant Attorney General Thorin Geist told jurors what to expect from the prosecution as the trial unfolds this week at the Lake County Courthouse.

“In Montana, smoke on the air means a lot of different things to a lot of different people,” Assistant Attorney General Thorin Geist told jurors Monday morning at the Lake County Courthouse. “But in the summer of 2021, that smell meant one thing to the defendant, Craig McCrea. The evidence in this case will show that for Craig McCrea, that smell meant one more fix, one more opportunity to use fentanyl.”

A jury trial for accused arsonist Craig Allen McCrea begins Friday with jury selection at the Ronan Community Center. The trial begins Monday at the Lake County Courthouse with opening statements. McCrea is accused of intentionally igniting the devastating Boulder 2700 fire in August 2021, and two smaller fires the month prior.

Craig Allen McCrea, accused of igniting the devastating Boulder 2700 fire in August 2021, and two smaller fires, will appear before Judge Robert L. Deschamps for an evidentiary hearing at 2 p.m. Thursday.

A straw with the defendant's DNA and video surveillance led to the arrest of Craig Allen McCrea.

McCrea has been charged with arson for starting the Boulder 2700 fire

A straw with the defendant's DNA and video surveillance led to the arrest of Craig Allen McCrea.

A straw with the defendant's DNA and video surveillance led to the arrest of Craig Allen McCrea.