4 Die In Mobile Home From Fire That Two Men Have Been Arrested For Possibly Starting

Four die in mobile home fire, which leads to two men's arrest in Montana Thursday on suspicion of setting the fire that killed the four.

Zaccary John Kern and Robert Eric Bottenhagen, both 21 and from Billings, were arrested Thursday night without incident, said Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder. Jail records showed each man faces four counts of negligent homicide and a felony arson charge.

Neighbors said they heard a loud bang and immediately checked to see what happened, but couldn't help as four died in the mobile home.

"I was hitting the trailer as hard as I could with my hand," Troy Donges told the Billings Gazzete. "There was so much smoke in there, I don't know how anybody could've survived. People told me every time I hit it, it sounded like a gunshot and it woke them up."

Donges rushed over after his son jumped out of his seat when he heard the bang.

Dale Holthues, who lives next door, said his wife called 911 while he ran to the mobile home. He failed to kick in the doors and when attempting to get a response from anyone inside, nobody responded.

"We could not get any results," Holthues said. "I don't know if they were sleeping or what."

Linder declined to comment on the relationship between the suspects and victims, whose names have not yet been released pending autopsies scheduled for Friday morning.

"We're not releasing any investigative details at this point until I get with the county attorney's office," Linder told The Associated Press Friday morning.

Firefighters were called to the mobile home in Lockwood, just northeast of Billings, shortly after 4 a.m. Thursday when they were able to clear the fire within 10 minutes. They found the four bodies afterward.