Fire damages Whitefish-area home

The Daily Inter Lake

No one was injured Wednesday morning when a fire ripped through a two-story home on Haskill Basin Road east of Whitefish.

Firefighters responded to the 300 block of Haskill Basin Road about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday after the homeowner called to report the quickly spreading flames.

"The second level had quite a bit of fire involvement when we arrived on scene," said Joe Rendahl, the Whitefish Fire Department's acting shift officer.

The fire appears to have started on the second floor in the kitchen, dining room, or living room area.

"At this point, we're looking at electrical as a possible cause," Rendahl said.

Firefighters were able to knock down most of the flames in about 15 minutes, but spent several hours mopping up, Rendahl said.

Rendahl said he believes all six people who live in the home were there when the fire started and were alerted to it by an upstairs smoke alarm. The family reportedly runs a seafood business out of other buildings on the property.

Authorities contacted the Red Cross to provide clothing and temporary shelter for the displaced residents.

About 15 firefighters from the Whitefish Fire Department and a tender from the Columbia Falls Fire Department worked on the blaze.