Fire torches eastside home in Kalispell
<p>Ryan Pitts of the Evergreen Fire Department is shown at the scene of a structure fire at 130 Sixth Street East in Kalispell Friday afternoon.</p>
<p>Kalispell, South Kalispell, Evergreen, Smith Valley, Whitefish and West Valley fire departments all responded to a structure fire at 130 Sixth Street East in Kalispell Friday afternoon.</p>
<p> Adam Smart of the Kalispell Fire Department works to put out the fire. “Initially we went offensive, then the house was reported empty,” Kalispell Fire Chief Dave Dedman said. “At that point we pulled back and went defensive.”</p><p></p>
<p>Kalispell, South Kalispell, Evergreen, Smith Valley, Whitefish and West Valley fire departments all responded to a structure fire at 130 Sixth Street East on Friday afternoon, March 29, in Kalispell.</p>
A two-alarm house fire in Kalispell drew firefighters from six fire departments and filled the 100 block of Sixth Street East with smoke Friday afternoon.
Dozens of area residents crowded streets, driveways, and alleys surrounding the burning home, wanting to get a peek at the veritable army of firefighters attacking the blaze.
Among them was Suzanne Denluck.
Denluck, who lives next door to the house, said she and her friend were getting ready to go run errands when one of them looked out the window at a car they thought belonged to their landlord. Then they looked out a window on the other side of their house.
“I said, ‘Oh my God, look at the flames!’” Denluck said. “We immediately got our dogs out of the house and moved our cars.”
Denluck said she wasn’t exactly sure who lived in the house, although she has seen a lot of people coming and going.
Kalispell Fire Chief Dave Dedman was in charge of the firefighting operation, which included his department and crews from South Kalispell, Evergreen, Whitefish, Smith Valley and West Valley.
He said the fire started in the basement.
“Initially we went offensive, then the house was reported empty,” Dedman said. “At that point we pulled back and went defensive. Any time we have a fire in a basement, the floor is questionable, and we don’t want to put our firefighters in a bad situation.”
No resident or owner of the home seemed to be in the area as firefighters went about their work.
Denluck’s main concern — knowing that there had been no people inside the burning home — was for the three dogs and two cats she said lived in the house.
“I just hope to God they got the animals out,” Denluck said.
Dedman was unavailable to provide further information Friday evening, including whether any animals had been rescued or recovered.
Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.