Two die in house fire

Two people are dead after a fire destroyed a house on Trumble Creek Road Monday morning.

Brittany Kayleen Ince, 30, and her three year-old son, Gavin Thomas Henrichon, were in the basement when the fire broke out about 9 a.m. and were unable to get out.

Their bodies were recovered later in the day by firefighters. Their names have not been released. The owner of the home, Gene Hallas, was able to get out of the house, as were two other people. A young male was also in the basement when the fire started and was able to get out. He tried to go back in to help, but was turned away by the intense flames, said Columbia Falls Fire Chief Rick Hagen.

Hallas’s wife, Juanita, was apparently not home at the time.

Hagen said firefighters were not able to determine if the house had working smoke detectors, but none of the survivors said they heard any.

Hagen said the investigation is still ongoing, but it appears the fire started in the basement, but they may never know exactly what caused the fire, as evidence was destroyed when an excavator was used to exhume the two bodies from the debris. The house had a lot of fuels, Hagen said, which contributed to the intensity of the blaze. He said it was rare to have an occupied house burn that quickly.

Firefighters from across the North Valley responded to the blaze. The home was fully engulfed when the fire was reported. Columbia Falls, Evergreen, Whitefish and Bad Rock departments all responded to the blaze. The state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation also responded with a wildland fire crew. The call first came out to Columbia Falls and Hagen immediately began calling for help from other departments. The three-story house, which was made of cinder block and wood, quickly became a raging inferno, as flames shot out every window.

The house was in a forested area and had the potential to spread across the neighborhood, but firefighters kept it in check.

The North Valley Eagles Club in Columbia Falls is taking donations for items and cash for the family. Juanita worked at the Eagles as the bar coordinator. Further fundraisers are planned as well.