Fire destroys couple's home

PRIEST RIVER - An elderly couple lost their home and narrowly avoided injury after a fire started with a vehicle and quickly engulfed their Priest River residence Tuesday night.

Volunteers from the West Pend Oreille Fire Department responded to 1025 Old Priest River Road around 6 p.m. and spent nearly five hours battling the blaze.

The two-story, approximately 6,000-square-foot home was owned by Duane and Charlene Peterson.

WPOFD Chief Los Kokanos said the home was a complete loss, although the residents did have homeowner's insurance. The chief added that he wasn't exactly sure of the cause of the fire but did know it originated, "while he (Duane) was working on his truck in the driveway."

The chief said Peterson had just filled his vehicle with gas.

A local logging outfit assisted the fire department's efforts. McDonald Logging provided a backhoe to remove the structure's metal roof to gain better access.

"I want to be sure to thank them - otherwise we would have been there several more hours," said Kokanos. "We used a lot of water because of that metal but after being able to pinch the roof off with that backhoe it made fighting the fire a lot easier."

The couple also had a dog and cat that escaped safely.

Around 24 firefighters from the WPOFD were on scene and four were held on standby at the station. The Priest River Police Department and Bonner County Sheriff's Office also provided assistance.