Fire destroys home, garage
<p><strong>Firefighters from</strong> Columbia Falls battle a structure fire on Thursday afternoon on Brunner Road southwest of Columbia Falls. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Firefighters carry another hose to a fully involved structure fire on Thursday afternoon, May 14, on Brunner Road southwest of Columbia Falls. Firefighters from Columbia Falls, Evergreen and West Valley responded to the fire. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Firefighters battle flames enveloping a house on Thursday afternoon, May 14, on Brunner Road southwest of Columbia Falls. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Firefighters battle flames in a fully involved structure fire on Thursday afternoon, May 14, on Brunner Road southwest of Columbia Falls. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Evergreen Fire Chief Craig Williams, center, watches as a tanker delivers more water to a structure fire on Thursday afternoon, May 14, on Brunner Road southwest of Columbia Falls. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Columbia Falls Fire Chief Rick Hagen, right, and Evergreen Fire Chief Craig Williams discuss tactics at a structure fire on Thursday afternoon, May 14, on Brunner Road southwest of Columbia Falls. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
Fire tore through a house on Brunner Road southwest of Columbia Falls Thursday evening, creating a total loss for the main home and garage.
Witnesses said the fire originated in the garage.
Jonathan Glode, an immediate neighbor, said the family had a welding operation there.
Glode said that he heard some small pops, followed by a large explosion. He went outside to find the garage fully engulfed in flames. There were reports of propane tanks exploding.
The fire started shortly after 5:30 p.m., and less than an hour later the garage appeared absent from the lot. It left only burned framing, metal toolboxes and an engine block that remained standing on a metal table. The fire then spread to the main house, which was burned nearly all the way through.
No injuries have been reported in the fire.
Columbia Falls, West Valley and Evergreen fire departments responded to the fire.