West Valley home badly damaged in morning fire
Firefighters try to put down a fire from the back side of a house east of Spring Prairie Road on Thursday morning north of Kalispell.
A fire that began on a kitchen stove badly damaged a home near KM Ranch Road on Thursday morning, according to fire officials.
West Valley Fire Department Chief Chris Mullenix said firefighters were able to save a portion of the structure after the blaze initially was reported at about 9:45 a.m.
“It was pretty involved when we got there and everybody just combined forces and worked really good together to get it stopped,” Mullenix said.
Several people were home at the time, he said, but no one was injured.
Along with West Valley, the Whitefish, South Kalispell and Smith Valley fire departments also responded to the home on a private drive just off Spring Prairie Road along the Stillwater River.
Water was brought in from West Valley’s Farm to Market Road substation and also pumped from the Stillwater River.
Mullenix said it took about an hour and a half to get the fire under control. A sizable addition to the double-wide home was spared from smoke or fire damage.
About four rooms — including a separate kitchen unit — were saved, he said.
“It was a good, combined effort,” he said.