Barbecue the cause of Kalispell structure fire

Firefighters from three departments battled a structure fire west of Kalispell City Airport late Thursday.

According to a news release from Kalispell Fire Department, a call came in at about 11:46 p.m. for a fire at 1881 North Belmar Drive.

When crews arrived, the rear outside wall was burning and then it got into the attic.

Fire crews extinguished the outside fire before putting out the blaze inside the home. The scene was cleared at 2 a.m.

There was heavy fire damage to the outside as well as the attic area with heavy smoke and water damage to the interior of the home.

The family of five, which included two teenagers who lived in the home, got out before firefighters arrived.

According to Kalispell Fire Chief Dave Dedman, the family didn’t require assistance. No injuries were reported.

Dedman said an initial investigation of the fire determined it was accidental and related to combustibles located too close to a barbecue grill located at the rear of the house.

The home was insured and not a total loss.

Kalispell Fire Department was assisted by Kalispell Police Department, Evergreen Fire Department, Smith Valley Fire Department and Flathead Electric Cooperative.