The Havre Fire Department is building a training grounds on land the city owns just south of the city.

    Fire Chief Dave Sheppard told City Council Tuesday night the department already has three 8-by-20 foot BNSF containers that can be used for various projects.

    Sheppard said the department hopes to practice extractions, such as the department might use in getting people from car wreckage.

    Firefighters would also be able to practice with live fires at the training facility, he said.

    The department now uses facilities in Great Falls to train, he said. The closer location will save the department travel money.

    The chief said the training facility will be a work in progress.

    “We don’t have a lot of money, so we will be doing this a step at a time,” he said.

    He is hoping some private donations may supplement city funds in moving forward with the project.

    “I’m excited about this, I think it will work out well for us,” he said.

    Sheppard said he hopes to work with rural fire departments from throughout the Hi-Line on training projects.

    Rural fire departments often don’t have much experience in fighting structure fires, he said, since they spend so much time on wildfires.

    The Chinook Fire Department is already well-trained and is looking for more ways to learn, he said.

    He said work will begin in the spring on the facility.