Firefighters stamp out blaze, save Kalispell home

Firefighters contained a house fire to a single room before it could envelop the entire structure Monday evening in Kalispell.

West Valley Fire Department responded to the structure fire, which reportedly started in the bedroom of a single-family dwelling at 5:58 p.m. on Jan. 8.

West Valley firefighters were assisted by Kalispell fire crews to put out the blaze on Fox Hill Drive and North Riding Road.

“When we got on scene we were able to get a really quick knock down on the fire,” said West Valley Assistant Fire Chief Sean Bohannan.

Bohannan said it probably took only five minutes to extinguish the flames before “mopping up” or monitoring the area.

The homeowner reportedly tried to put the fire out with an extinguisher before evacuating the premises. No one was injured in the blaze.

Bohannan said when firefighters arrived the fire was smoldering inside the bedroom. The fire is still under investigation, but officials believe it could have been caused by an electrical wire from a lamp.

Firefighters didn’t have an estimated cost of damages to the structure, but said they did not believe the majority of the house suffered from fire or smoke damage.

Reporter Breeana Laughlin can be reached at 758-4441 or blaughlin@dailyinterlake.com.