Home destroyed by fire

A home off Montana 35 north of Bigfork was destroyed Monday afternoon by a fire.

Firefighters responded to the home, located on Winterhawk Drive, about 1:40 p.m. Monday after a passer-by spotted the flames and called authorities.

No one was inside the single-family, one-story home when the fire started and none of the firefighters who responded to the blaze were injured, Creston Fire Department Deputy Chief Lee Buller said.

"It was reported by the neighbors and the home was already fully involved when they saw it," Buller said.

While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Buller said it appears the fire originated outside in the rear of the home. Flames entered the home's living space from both the crawl space and attic.

"It pretty much burnt the whole house," said Buller, adding the home's roof was almost completely consumed in the fire. "When it's burning in the attic and crawl space both, it doesn't have much of a chance."

Upon arrival, firefighters attacked the flames from outside the home.

"We pretty much controlled it from the outside and went inside… pretty much to mop up," Buller said.

Firefighters were forced to park their engines away from the house and run extra hoses up to the structure because the driveway was not plowed.

"It's important to plow driveways and side roads," Buller said.

The Bigfork Fire Department responded with an engine and tender and the Badrock Fire Department responded with an engine. About 25 firefighters worked on the fire, Buller said.