The new fire hall’s recent completion along Montana 35 north of Polson improves emergency response to residences in the vicinity of Yellow Bay and Blue Bay and to motor vehicle crashes along a stretch of the well-traveled, narrow highway, officials say.

The Yellow Bay Fire Hall provides a base for volunteer operations that will better serve the north end of the district covered by the Finley Point/Yellow Bay Fire Department, according to Fire Chief Brent Burland.

“It is with great pride that we can be there for the residents in the Yellow Bay and Blue Bay area when they need it most,” Burland said.

Previously, the Finley Point fire hall, located about 6 miles north of Polson on Montana 35, was the base of emergency response operations for both Yellow Bay and Finley Point.

The new, 1,200-square-foot Yellow Bay Fire Hall, built at mile marker 17.5 on Montana 35, is near the University of Montana’s Flathead Lake Biological Station. The university provided the land for the fire hall through a 100-year lease, Burland said.

The new hall houses a Type 5 rapid response truck capable of carrying 750 gallons of water. Burland said the truck can handle an initial attack on a structure fire until other fire-fighting equipment reaches the scene. It and volunteers can also respond to motor vehicle accidents and provide some initial emergency care until emergency medical personnel arrive.

The Yellow Bay Fire Hall cost about $150,000, Burland said, requiring several years of savings from county appropriations.

The Finley Point/Yellow Bay Fire Department plans to hold an open house at the new fire hall sometime this spring or summer.

Reporter Duncan Adams may be reached at [email protected] or 758-4407.