West Glacier home a 'total loss' from afternoon fire

Flames reaching 300 feet high consumed a West Glacier home Wednesday afternoon, and the house was declared a “total loss” by Coram-West Glacier Fire Chief Walt Tabb.

The cause of the fire, which originated on the south side of the house, is undetermined; however, a wood stove is located in that area of the home.

“The [homeowner] had cleaned it out around 7 this morning,” said Tabb, adding that crews found no remains of a fire inside the stove. “That’s the only thing I can come up with,” he said, speculating about the fire’s cause. “It’s still too hot to go in and dig around” the smoldering wreckage.

No one was home when the fire broke out at 950 Belton Stage Road.

A passerby saw flames bursting through the windows and out the roof of the two-story, four-bedroom home and called authorities around 12:34 p.m.

The house was fully engulfed as 15 firefighters from Coram-West Glacier, Martin City and Hungry Horse fire departments battled the blaze. Six engines were dispatched, two of which were water tenders.

The scene was cleared around 4:15 p.m.

Authorities have not yet released the homeowner’s name.

Some pets may have perished in the blaze. The homeowners told authorities there had been animals in the house, but crews were unable to locate any animals at the scene. No remains have been located, but crews have not been able to search through the wreckage because it was still too hot.