Fire an accident, not arson, fire chief says

Columbia Falls fire Chief Karl Weeks said Friday that a house fire that killed two people earlier this week was an accident, not arson.

“It wasn’t intentional,” Weeks said. “It was probably just a bad accident.”

The names of the two men killed in the fire have not been formally released by authorities, but NBC Montana identified them as Lowell Smith, 75, and Jeff Watts, 50.

Their bodies have been sent to the state crime lab, Sheriff Brian Heino said previously.

Jeff Watts was a paraeducator at Deer Park School. His wife, Miriam, is the librarian, according to Deer Park principal Sheri Modderman.

Miriam Watts survived, as did Doris Smith, Lowell’s wife.

Doris jumped from a second story window and was caught by Mariam Watts, who was trying to put a ladder up to her.

The fire broke out about 10:15 a.m. Sunday and the large two-story structure was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived 12 minutes after the call, Weeks said.

Once the fire was put out, the scene was secured and an origin and cause investigation was started, Weeks said.

That investigation is still continuing as to the exact cause of the fire and circumstances surrounding it. More interviews are to be conducted next week, Weeks noted.