Fire damages apartments
<p>A fire caused by a barbecue caused substantial damage to a St. Vincent de Paul apartment complex at Second and Ridgewood in Post Falls on Monday night. Seven occupants were displaced.</p>
POST FALLS - An apartment complex fire in Post Falls displaced seven occupants on Monday night.
A female was using a small barbecue on the second-floor in unit No. 23 of St. Vincent de Paul's Ridgewood Apartments at Second Avenue and Ridgewood near Capone's Pub and Grill when the fire was reported at 5:54 p.m.
"The occupant said she was cooking on the barbecue, walked into the kitchen and, when she returned, there were high flames that spread quickly," said Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Warren Merritt.
The fire damaged four of the eight units in the complex - three on the second floor and one on the bottom floor.
"All of the occupants are either staying with family or St. Vincent is putting them up in a hotel," Merritt said.
The fire caused "substantial" damage to the unit where the fire started. Merritt said the woman is staying with her son in the area.
"It was a excellent work by firefighters from preventing the fire from spreading farther," Merritt said.
There were no injuries to residents or firefighters.
Northern Lakes and Coeur d'Alene Fire assisted KCFR with the incident.