Cigarette cause of Post Falls apartment fire

POST FALLS - A cigarette has been determined as the cause of this morning's blaze that destroyed three units and damaged nine others at the Falls Park Apartments.

Shaena Dunn, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue spokeswoman, said the fire started on a second-story balcony of the three-story complex.

No one was injured. Most of the 41 residents in the 24-unit building were evacuated, but a few residents didn't wake up until after the fire was out and after the evacuation process.

The fire at 304 West Fourth Avenue next to Falls Park was reported at 1:42 a.m.

Affected residents are being assisted with housing by a combination of the American Red Cross, families, churches and neighbors.

"It was like a dream," said resident Russ Bottelson, who lives on the third floor of the building and had the ceiling in a bedroom collapse due to the blaze. "I looked outside and saw flames shooting across my balcony. I threw on a pair of pants, a shirt, grabbed some valuables started knocking on doors. Then I heard someone yell, 'It's going to blow.'"

Linda Bell, who lives in the apartment building next to the one that burned, said the flames were massive.

"I haven't seen a fire like that in many years," she said. "The flames went up 20 feet or more. Thank God everybody got out. I thought the whole building was going to go."

Tina Smithson, who manages the complex, said the private owner, who she declined to identify, has insurance to cover the structural damage. Some of the affected renters have insurance on their personal contents, while others don't.