Wood stove blamed for garage fire

A structure fire reported Monday morning caused significant damage to the garage of a home on Santa Fe Street in Kalispell, but resulted in no casualties.

The occupants reported the fire after evacuating the house around 8:30 a.m., and Kalispell Fire arrived on scene minutes later to find smoke billowing from three sides of the attached garage.

According to Kalispell Fire Chief Dave Dedman, the fire started when a wood stove in the garage ignited combustible materials nearby.

Crews managed a contained control within 15 minutes but remained on scene for about two hours.

Damage was isolated to the garage, with moderate smoke damage reported in the attached living areas of the home.

According to Dedman, the residents’ car, which was inside the garage at the time of the fire, also received minor damage.

This was the second garage fire the department has responded to at the same residence this year, he noted. The first in January, he said, had a different cause and was also ruled an accident.

Assisting agencies included Evergreen Fire, Smith Valley Fire, Kalispell Police and Flathead Electric Cooperative.