Skunk extermination sparks shed fire in Somers

An attempt to get rid of an unwanted critter is to blame for a shed fire in Somers on Tuesday afternoon.

According to South Kalispell Fire Chief Chris Yerkes, the blaze on Happy Hollow Road started while a man was attempting to exterminate a skunk in a plastic garbage can. The fire spread throughout the shed and melted a 150 gallon container of vegetable oil used for alternative-energy purposes, Yerkes said.

The building was a total loss, but crews were able to save a riding lawn mower from the flames, as well as a nearby garage. There were no injuries.

Cassey Kinnamon and her mother Patricia Kinnamon were among the first people on the scene.

They saw the fire from the road and stopped to help after calling 911. There was one man with a hose when they arrived.

Patricia honked the horn to alert neighbors, then went to Sliters in Somers to get sand and shovels because the container of vegetable oil appeared to be a fuel-like substance.

Neighbors joined in to help fight the fire until emergency crews arrived.

South Kalispell and Somers-Lakeside fire departments responded to the scene.