Structure Fire in Billings Causes Traffic Signal Issues on Midland Rd.

Traffic was diverted from a busy intersection in the southwest corridor of Billings on Tuesday evening (5/10) where the Billings Fire Department battled a structure fire near the Billings Hotel and Convention Center.

According to the post on the @BillingsFire Twitter account at 8:12 pm Tuesday, Billings Firefighters responded to 5400 Midland Road where an outbuilding was on fire.

At the time this story was published, Midland Road was "shut down between South Billings Blvd and Mullowney Lane," according to the post from the Billings Fire Department.

Traffic control lights near the structure fire at the intersection of Midland Road and Mullowney Lane stopped working, causing a dangerous situation for motorists.

A car accident was also reported near the structure fire after power in the area was lost and traffic control signals went dark.

Someone who witnessed the blaze said it appeared to be a small shed near the Billings Hotel and Convention Center parking lot, according to Laura Sanderson on Facebook.

In a post on the @BillingsPD Twitter page, Billings Police Lt. Becker said the intersection of Midland and Mullowney "should be considered a four-way stop" until the repair of the traffic control lights is completed.

A Billings Police officer will handle traffic control at the intersection "when possible," according to the social media post.

No details on when the traffic control lights will be activated again at the Midland Road and Mullowney Lane intersection.

This story will be updated if more details about the fire become available.