One injured in Wednesday morning structure fire in Athol

ATHOL — One person suffered burn-related injuries following a Wednesday morning structure fire in Athol. 

Selkirk Fire was dispatched to the 800 block of Road 22 just before 10 a.m. after Bonner County dispatch reported a house on fire with residents evacuating, according to a press release. 

Engine 1223 from Careywood, staffed with one firefighter at the time, arrived to find a two-story, single-family residence fully engulfed, in addition to a burn victim requiring medical care. 

Bonner County EMA initiated patient care while the Engine 1223 firefighter initiated his size-up and fire attack. Additional firefighters arrived to assist with firefighting, water supply, and containment. 

The residence eventually collapsed, at which point firefighters continued the attack defensively to prevent the fire from spreading further. 

"Firefighters faced common challenges on this incident that included limited access to the fire, inadequate water supply for the amount of fire, and insufficient personnel for the complexity of the incident," the press release said. "Life safety always comes first. Treating a burn patient and initiating fire attack is simply impossible with one person."

Chief 1201, Careywood's Station 4, and Sagle's Station 3 responded to the incident. Timberlake Fire, Northside Fire, and Sam Owen Fire were requested as mutual aid in addition to Bonner County EMS and Idaho Department of Lands firefighters.

Firefighters will remain on scene throughout Wednesday evening to ensure containment of the fire, the cause of which is under investigation. 

The structure was a total loss, according to Selkirk Fire.