Fire damages Sandy Hill Terrace home

A fire heavily damaged a home at 65 Sandy Hill Terrace in rural Columbia Falls Friday night. The fire broke out about 9 p.m. No one was home at the time of the blaze. A family member said they went to church and found out later from friends their house was on fire. Neighbors said the back end of the house, including the porch, was engulfed when firefighters arrived.

Firefighters from Columbia Falls, Whitefish, Evergreen and West Valley responded. There was some confusion as to the location of the fire. Initial calls said it was on South Hilltop Road and some units went there. There was no fire on South Hilltop.

The Sandy Hill Terrace neighborhood is off Highway 40, just before the road crosses the Whitefish River.