When Powell police officers Isaac Gutierrez and Kevin Bennett arrived at the Parkview Village apartment complex last month, flames were already coming out the side of the building. But the officers didn’t hesitate — they hustled into the burning structure to ensure everyone got out safely.

Bennett and Gutierrez “entered the complex multiple times in heavy smoke and dangerous conditions to ensure all occupants were out and accounted for” and later rescued a cat, said Powell Police Chief Jim Rhea.

The two officers were formally recognized for their “honorable actions of valor … performed in the spirit of service and sacrifice” at Monday’s Powell City Council meeting. Gutierrez and Bennett received plaques and a standing ovation from a chamber full of supporters.

“I’d like to thank you guys for your work that night and every other night,” Powell Mayor John Wetzel told the officers. “We appreciate what all you guys do for the City of Powell.”

The Feb. 17 fire started around 2 a.m. in the apartment building along Seventh Street, inside a unit occupied by Stefanie and Chad Hill and their family. The unit suffered extensive damage from the flames and smoke, while the one directly below theirs, occupied by daughter Karma Hill, received substantial water damage. The Hills lost the bulk of their possessions, and a fundraising campaign for the family remains active at gofund.me/7f77f920.

The owners of the company that manages the complex, Billings-based HDA Management, called it a “devastating fire,” but said they felt “exceptionally fortunate” that no one was injured.

“I know we have officers Bennett and Gutierrez to thank for that,” an HDA representative wrote in a letter to the chief.

In the days after the fire, Rhea said firefighters, city utility workers and other first responders also expressed appreciation for the two officers. Bennett has been with the department since 2019 while Gutierrez joined in 2023.

In its letter to the city, HDA Management’s owners said their company is similarly indebted to all of the first responders who assisted with the fire, “including the brave firefighters who left their families and the warmth of their homes on the bitter cold morning to protect life and property.”

An accidental fire

An investigator with the Wyoming State Fire Marshal’s Office classified the cause of the fire as “accidental.”

“Supporting factors include burnt food and grease in pans lying on the stove and on the counter, next to the stove and pantry,” Ian Kraft, the office’s training program manager in Riverton, said in a Tuesday email. Kraft said the investigator was told that one of the stove’s burners would remain hot long after it was turned off.

All of the occupants of the building — roughly a dozen people — were displaced by the blaze. However, following plumbing, electrical and other repair work, tenants were able to return to the four units in the western half of the building some time ago, said Brenda Baxter, the local property manager for HDA Management.

There’s no current estimate on when the Hills’ units on the eastern side will be ready for occupancy.

In two decades of managing properties, Baxter said she’s never experienced anything like February’s fire, but “you never know” when something will happen. That’s one reason she recommends renter’s insurance.

On Tuesday, Baxter reiterated her thankfulness that no one was hurt.

“Material things can be replaced,” she said, “but people, no.”