Family's home destroyed by flames

A fire of unknown origins destroyed a house in the Smith Valley area on Sunday, leaving a family homeless.

Smith Valley Fire Chief Doug Scarff said there was nobody home when the fire was reported just after 3:30 p.m., and none of the neighbors in the remote area were aware of the blaze.

“Actually, a private pilot flying overhead spotted it and somehow called it in,” Scarff said.

The upper level of the two-story log home was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters made it up the rough Coon Hollow and Coon Springs roads at about 4 p.m.

“It appeared the fire started somewhere on that upper floor,” Scarff said. “We were able to save the garage. It got a lot of heat damage but no fire damage.”

The house was “a total loss,” he said.

Scarff said the husband was at the scene when he arrived and the Red Cross responded to help the family.

The family had cats that were able to get out of the house, and they were located the next day.

The West Valley, South Kalispell and Marion fire departments assisted with the fire and the scene was cleared at about 10 p.m.

Scarff said the structure’s metal roof collapsed and subsequently had to be removed with an excavator.

“That pretty much destroyed any evidence [of the fire’s cause] if there was any,” he said. “It’s pretty much an undetermined cause. There’s just not enough there to work with.”