Blast was intentional

The explosion and fire that reduced a Kalispell home to rubble early Friday morning were intentionally set by the occupant, a Kalispell Fire Department investigation has concluded.

“Overwhelming evidence” at the scene indicates that John Parsons, 57, “intentionally caused the incident in an act of suicide,” according to a press release from Kalispell Fire Chief Dave Dedman.

“Propane cylinders, chemicals, live ammunition and other accelerants had been strategically placed throughout the residence and property to hamper any efforts of public safety personnel to mitigate the incident safely and quickly,” Dedman said in the press release.

“Notes had been posted on the front and rear of the property advising public safety personnel to stay away, however the notes had not been noticed by personnel until after the situation had been mitigated.”

Dedman said Parsons also sent “some personal notifications to family,” advising them of his intentions.

The 2:15 a.m. explosion at 725 Ninth Ave. W. rattled the neighborhood and showered debris as far as several blocks away.

The sound of ammunition going off could be heard by witnesses as the remainder of the house burned. Two vehicles also were destroyed by the fire.

Parsons worked as a planner for the Flathead Regional Development Office in the mid-1990s and later became a self-employed planning consultant who worked for clients such as Winter Sports Inc.

He served as a member of the board of directors for Glacier National Park Associates for 10 years and was in charge of summer projects in the park. The volunteer group renovates historic structures and other buildings in Glacier Park such as fire lookouts and ranger stations.

“He spent hundreds of hours dedicated to volunteering,” Glacier National Park Associates President Jim Swab said. “He was a great hiker, had a great sense of humor and was a pleasure to be around.”

Swab said Parsons had attended the group’s board meeting last Wednesday and told the board he no longer would be able to head up the work projects.

On Friday, the day Parsons died, the Associates received a donation of $1,400 from Parsons with a note saying he hoped his departure “wouldn’t cause us undo stress,” Swab said.

The board will hold a special meeting on Wednesday to set up a John Parsons Memorial Fund that will dedicate financial resources to projects not funded by the National Park Service.

Mary Pat Murphy, a friend of Parsons, said “he loved Glacier National Park and volunteered thousands of hours through the years on projects to improve the park.”

Murphy and Parsons were part of a weekly lunch group that dined together every Wednesday. She had lunch with Parsons last Wednesday, just two days before the explosion, and noticed nothing amiss.

“John Parsons was a bright, intense man of strong opinions,” Murphy said. The last time I saw John, he told us about his stay with friends in a North Fork Forest Service cabin. He was always up for an outdoor adventure and regularly climbed to the top of Lone Pine near his westside home.”

JoAnn (Speelman) Dramer, another of Parsons’ longtime friends, said Parsons “was always there” for his friends and would do anything for them.

Murphy remembered how he “was able to figure out and fix mechanical things.

“I remember the ‘Safe Place’ bumper sticker on his little white car, telling of his support for battered women,” Murphy said.

Both Murphy and Dramer said Parsons had notified them around Feb. 1 to give them a new email address. Dramer said she wrote back to him but never got a return reply.

In the days leading up to Parsons’ death, he had given away many of his personal belongings. He turned over all of his Glacier Park photographs on a flash drive to Debra Reeves of the Glacier Fund last Wednesday evening. He left tools and some food in a neighbor’s garage across the street, and reportedly had given away music to other acquaintances.

“He was doling things out,” Murphy said.

Parsons’ home was listed in legal advertising as being in foreclosure some time ago, Murphy said.

“The violence [of his death] makes no sense unless he was trying to obliterate the house,” she said.

A memorial service is planned for April 28 at Lone Pine State Park.