Fire destroys Post Falls shop
Photo courtesy of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue From left, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue firefighter Warren Williams, lieutenant/paramedic Ryan Asher and firefighter/paramedic Jeff Brucick work on a shop fire on Sunday in Post Falls.
By BRIAN WALKER
Staff Writer
POST FALLS — A 25-year-old man suffered second-degree burns on his hand during a fire in Post Falls on Sunday that destroyed a shop and its contents.
The fire was believed to have started by a spark when he was repairing a lawnmower.
"He attempted to remove a gas can from the shop and it was on fire," Kootenai County Fire Chief Warren Merritt said.
A victim's skin peels back with a second-degree burn. Family members took Sean Pierce to the hospital for treatment.
Contents in the shop in the 3000 block of West Fisher Avenue included an antique tractor, lawnmowers and tools. A boat outside the building was also damaged.
Fire crews estimated the total property loss at roughly $40,000. The owner of the property is Tom Gauthier, who has insurance.
Three chickens also died during the incident.
The fire was reported at 4:11 p.m. and the first fire crew arrived at 4:18 p.m.
"When we got there, the 30-by-40 shop was engulfed in flames," Merritt said. "We fought the fire from the outside because nobody was inside. The home is 40 to 50 feet away and was never in danger."
Crews were on scene until around 7 p.m. tending to hotspots to ensure the fire was out. Coeur d'Alene Fire and the Northern Lakes Fire District assisted KCFR. Hauser Fire staffed one of KCFR's stations during the incident for any subsequent calls.