Smoke alarms credited with saving burning home

Firefighters quickly doused a fire at a home on Eighth Avenue West in Kalispell early Saturday morning.

The Kalispell Fire Department is crediting the use of functioning smoke alarms in the home as the primary reason that damages were held to about $2,000.

Kalispell firefighters, along with crews from the Evergreen and Smith Valley fire departments, responded to the home after residents reported smoke alarms were sounding at 4:06 a.m.

Crews initially found smoke emanating from the residence and extinguished the fire quickly, according to a release from the Kalispell Fire Department.

The occupants evacuated the home safely and the building remains habitable.

The fire is believed to have been started by heat from a wood stove.

“Smoke alarms will give you the early notification of a fire in your residence or business as they did in this incident, allowing for a quick response and positive outcome,” Kalispell Fire Operations Chief Dave Dedman wrote in the release.

Kalispell residents are encouraged to call the fire department at 758-7760 for assistance with smoke alarms.