Fire damages shop at Post Falls home

POST FALLS - A fire that originated in a wood stove caused extensive damage to a detached shop and its contents on Snowshoe Road off West Riverview Drive in Post Falls on Friday morning.

No injuries were reported.

Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, along with mutual aid from Coeur d'Alene and Northern Lakes, responded to the fire at 10700 Snowshoe at 7:27 a.m. after it was discovered and reported by the homeowners.

"The homeowner used the shop to build wood furniture and various other projects," said KCFR Chief Warren Merritt. "The owner had started a fire in the wood stove about three hours before the fire started."

The homeowners were not in the shop when the fire started.

Damaged contents included wood-working tools and table saws. The shop is about 25 feet by 45 feet.

Firefighters contained the fire to the shop and were on scene for two and a half hours.

Merritt said the property is insured and a loss estimate has not been determined.

With winter weather here, fire agencies remind residents to clean chimneys, change batteries in smoke detectors and insulate faucets to keep pipes from freezing.