Chickens saved from Lake Blaine structure fire
Evergreen Fire Rescue Lt. Jackie Smith uses an artificial breathing device to help revive some chickens that were overcome by smoke inhalation in a residential fire Tuesday on Van Sant Road east of Kalispell. (Photo provided by Evergreen Fire Rescue)
An Evergreen Fire Rescue paramedic used artificial breathing equipment to revive some chickens that were inside a mobile home that caught fire Tuesday evening near Lake Blaine.
According to Creston Fire Department Chief Gary Mahugh, the fire was called in after a neighbor saw smoke coming from the home on Van Sant Road.
The owners of the home were not at home at the time of the fire, but returned in time to let firefighters inside.
The blaze began when a heat lamp fell over and burned a hole in the living room floor, according to Mahugh. The home was full of smoke and while several young chickens and turkeys did succumb to the smoke, Evergreen Lt. Jackie Smith used artificial breathing equipment that had been donated to the department to bring a few chickens back to life.
“It was an excellent partnership between Evergreen and us to get the fire under control quickly,” Mahugh said. “It was about the time people were getting out of work, so we had a great response to the scene.”
Mahugh said there were 20 firefighters on the scene.
“We spent quite a bit of time underneath, checking the insulation for fire,” Mahugh said. Crews were on scene for about three hours.
Mahugh said the damage was minimal and there were no injuries to any firefighters.