Man charged with starting apartment fire

The Daily Inter Lake

The man accused of causing a Friday morning fire at the Mountain Villa Apartments on West Reserve Drive near Kalispell has been charged with negligent arson, a felony.

During an initial appearance Friday afternoon in Flathead County Justice Court, David Lawrence Bernach, 45, was ordered held on $25,000 bail.

According to court documents, Bernach - who was staying in a ground-floor unit in the apartment complex's west wing - used gasoline to ignite the wood in his fireplace after several previous attempts to get the fire going with other methods failed.

But some of the gasoline spilled out of the fireplace and, at about 1 a.m. Friday, spread flames into the apartment.

The fire eventually gutted five apartments and damaged five more, according to the apartment complex's manager. No one besides Bernach was injured.

Prosecutors allege Bernach tried to extinguish the fire himself for as long as he could safely stay in the apartment, but he failed to call 911 at any time. When he could no longer stand the smoke, Bernach went outside and yelled for help.

"I think the charges are supported by the fact that he poured a can of gas into a fireplace and spilled it to the point where it came out of the fireplace," Deputy Flathead County Attorney Alison E. Howard said. "I think if he had called emergency personnel earlier, the damage could have been mitigated."

After he was treated at the Kalispell Regional Medical Center emergency room for burns to his hands and face, Bernach was taken to the Sheriff's Office for questioning.

He reportedly told investigators at the scene, "This is all my fault."

Bernach was then taken into custody and booked into jail about 4:30 a.m. Friday.

Negligent arson carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. Bernach's arraignment, where he will enter a plea to the charge, is scheduled for Dec. 11.

Bernach also is being held on a misdemeanor contempt-of-court warrant from Kalispell Municipal Court.