Fire damages Post Falls home
Photo courtesy of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Kootenai County Fire and Rescue firefighter/paramedic Max Buccowich tends to a Post Falls home that sustained substantial fire damage on Tuesday morning.
By BRIAN WALKER
Staff Writer
POST FALLS — A fire believed to have spread from an outdoor futon to the home caused substantial damage to a Post Falls residence on Tuesday morning.
The fire at 2315 E. Knapp Drive north of Post Falls High School was reported at 5:23 a.m.
"There was a small recreational fire in the backyard the night before in which a spark caused a small fire on a futon," Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Warren Merritt said. "The futon was soaked with water, but unfortunately upholstery really retains heat and the futon was put up against the house."
Both occupants, including owner Nicole Campbell, evacuated safely. Two dogs and a cat were also rescued.
"The owner told us that she heard something cracking and, after she woke up, she saw fire," Merritt said. "The fire apparently climbed the wall, went through the soffits and into the attic. That's not uncommon when the fire starts on the outside of a house. This fire was already consuming the attic and broke through the roofline when our crews arrived."
Merritt estimated more than half of the structure and its contents were damaged.
"The rafters and roof will need to be replaced," he said, adding the total amount of damages could be in the $100,000 range.
The home is insured and the occupants and the pets have places to stay.
The attached garage to the single-story home was not damaged.
The home had a working smoke detector, but that was not heard until the occupants were evacuating because the fire was in the attic and didn't immediately trigger the device, Merritt said.
Firefighters did a great job of preventing the blaze from spreading to other homes, Merritt said.
"The homes in there are pretty tight," he said.
Coeur d'Alene Fire and the Northern Lakes Fire District assisted KCFR during the fire.
Merritt said residents are urged to use as much caution with open burning as possible. If items catch on fire, they should be stored away from structures after they are watered down in case the fire rekindles.
"If you have any doubts, call your local fire department," Merritt said.