Apartments evacuated during fire

Firefighters were called out Friday morning to an apartment building fire at 1305 Fifth Ave. E. in Kalispell.

There were flames on the second-floor exterior and attic space of a four-unit apartment on fire when Kalispell firefighters arrived.

The building was quickly evacuated and the fire was extinguished with help from Evergreen, Whitefish, and Smith Valley fire departments, according to a news release from the Kalispell Fire Department.

All of the tenants were able to return to their apartments, with the only damage being in the apartment where the fire started.

Improperly discarded smoking materials ignited the fire, which started on a second-floor exterior balcony and quickly spread into the shared attic space of the building.

The fire was called in at 2:08 a.m. by an attentive neighbor.

The Kalispell Fire Department reminded people about the importance of properly discarding smoking materials. Potted plants are not a suitable area for disposal, since many commercial potting soils and fertilizers can be flammable. 

The Kalispell Police Department and Flathead Electric Cooperative assisted at the scene.