Crews battle house fire

SANDPOINT — Although property damage was extensive, a local house remained standing Friday afternoon after catching on fire.

The Sandpoint Fire Department responded at about 1 p.m. to a structure fire located at 205 Ella Ave. Firefighters quickly suppressed the blaze, although the property continued to billow smoke for several minutes afterward.

“The crew did a fantastic job,” Fire Chief Robert Tyler said. “The fire was out within minutes of their arrival.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. According to firefighter Glen Cassidy, the fire had already reached sufficient temperatures to flash — or ignite combustible materials like furniture almost simultaneously — by the time they arrived.

Once they put out the flames, they had to contend with the smoke.

“There was so much smoke, we couldn’t see the floor,” Cassidy said.

Although the house itself remained standing, the interior and the possessions within suffered extreme damage both from the fire and the resulting smoke.

Tyler estimated that the financial toll to the residents, whose names were withheld by the department, probably totaled between $35,000 and $45,000.

The Sandpoint Volunteer Firefighter Organization gave the residents $100 from their financial assistance fund to help cover food and prescription medication needs in the coming days. K2 Inn also provided lodging for the displaced individuals.

Tyler thanked the inn owners for their assistance and also lauded Bonner County Emergency Medical Services and Sagle Fire District for their swift response times.