Firefighters called to two small fires

Substandard construction and a shorted-out ceiling fan led to a pair of fires in Whitefish on Tuesday.

The trouble started at 1 a.m. when the residents of a Mallard Loop home reported heavy smoke coming out of a wall. Whitefish Fire Chief Tom Kennelly said road conditions slowed firefighters’ response somewhat, but they were able control the fire inside the wall in about 11 minutes.

Kennelly said the fire was a result of poor construction since the fireplace was built too close to the wall. Over time, convection heat from the fireplace degraded the paneling until it caught fire Tuesday morning despite the fact that the fireplace had not been in use since sometime the prior night.

The fire caused approximately $5,000 to $6,000 in damage. Only the Whitefish Fire Department responded.

Another fire called in at 2:42 p.m. Tuesday was stopped before it had a chance to grow, thanks to observant bar patrons.

That fire began in the men’s bathroom of the Bulldog Saloon on Central Avenue when the ceiling fan shorted out.

“Some of the patrons that were there grabbed the fire extinguisher and put the initial fire out,” Kennelly said.

Firefighters checked for any further conflagration or damage, but found it had been limited to the fan and the immediate surrounding area. None of the decor was damaged.

The flaming fan will require about $2,000 in cleanup costs, according to Kennelly.

Due to the location of the fire in downtown Whitefish, the Kalispell, Columbia Falls and Evergreen fire departments initially were called out as well, but they were canceled before they arrived.

No one was injured in either of the fires.

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.