Valley fire crews battle blaze south of Whitefish

Firefighters from five companies battled a house fire Monday night south of Whitefish on Bear Trail near the Midway Mini Mart on U.S. 93.

The call came in at about 11 p.m. Monday.

According to Whitefish Fire Department Chief Joe Page, the fire was apparently the result of an overheated wood stove.

He said the people who lived in the home got out safely before crews arrived. When first responders reached the home, flames were visible.

“We got a quick knock-down on it, but there was still quite a bit of damage because it was burning inside the walls,” Page said. “It was a very cold night, but we had a lot of help and no one was injured.”

Page said the pipe for the stove appeared to be in good condition.

Fire crews also responded from Evergreen, Big Mountain, Columbia Falls and West Valley.