Columbia Falls firefighters respond to two fires within four minutes of each other
Columbia Falls, Evergreen and Whitefish firefighters responded to a blaze on Third Avenue West early Sunday morning. Photo courtesy of Jodee Perkins.
This home on Third Avenue West was heavily damaged by a fire Sunday morning.
This home at 1135 Third Avenue West saw its roof heavily damaged by fire Sunday morning. Photo courtesy of Jodee Perkins.
Columbia Falls firefighters were busy early Sunday morning after they received two major fire calls within four minutes of each other.
The first call came in for a fire at the Weyerhaeuser medium density fiberboard plant on line two at about 4 a.m. The second call came in for flames coming out of the roof of a house at 1135 Third Avenue West, Columbia Falls Fire Chief Rick Hagen said.
The fire company split its resources with the rural fire engine going to Weyerhaeuser and the city engine going to the house fire.
No one was injured in either blaze.
The MDF fire was largely put out by Weyerhaeuser staff and the plant’s automatic deluge system. Firefighters from Bad Rock responded with mutual aid and firefighters were on the scene making sure the plant was OK until about 5:30 a.m., Hagen said.
They then transitioned to help crews at the house fire. The house fire was largely confined to the roof and attic — there was no fire below the ceiling, Hagen said. But the house received extensive damage and the roof was a complete loss and it was a difficult fire to mop up.
Firefighters determined the fire started near the flue of the chimney, but no one was home at the time and there was no fire in the wood stove, either, though the family had a hot fire earlier in the day.
Evergreen and Whitefish responded with mutual aid to that blaze, Hagen said.
“I’d really like to thank Whitefish, Bad Rock and Evergreen for their help,” Hagen said.
Firefighters were off the scene of the house fire at 8 a.m.