Fire destroys business, knocks out internet and phone lines in Kalispell
Emergency crews responded to the scene of a commercial structure fire on Sixth Avenue West in Kalispell early Tuesday morning. (Ken Varga photo)
Kalispell Fire Department firefighters and fire chief Dan Pierce stand at the scene at the scene of an early-morning fire in a commercial structure along West Center Street in Kalispell on Tuesday, Dec. 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A utility crew at the scene of an early-morning fire in a commercial structure along West Center Street in Kalispell on Tuesday, Dec. 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A Kalispell Fire Department firefighter sprays a hot spot at the scene of an early-morning fire in a commercial structure along West Center Street in Kalispell on Tuesday, Dec. 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
A woodworking business near downtown Kalispell was destroyed in a fire early Tuesday morning that knocked out power and communication lines in the area.
The metal building on Sixth Avenue West and Center Street was fully engulfed in flames when crews with the Kalispell Fire Department arrived at 2:45 a.m. Firefighters remained on the scene through the morning, working to douse hot spots, according to Fire Chief Dan Pearce.
No one was inside the building when the blaze took off.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. The building was deemed a total loss, Pearce said.
Flathead Electric Co-op workers were able to restore power in the neighborhood by the morning, however phone and fiber optic lines remained down. Pearce said damaged phone lines in the area could take a week to repair.
Firefighters from Whitefish, Evergreen and Smith Valley assisted on the incident.
Earlier in the day a home on Fourth Avenue East was damaged when a fire started in the attic at around 9:30 a.m.
The cause of the blaze was suspected to be electrical. The home suffered approximately $222,000 in damage and is not occupiable, Pearce said.
Kalispell Fire Department firefighters and fire chief Dan Pierce stand at the scene at the scene of an early-morning fire in a commercial structure along West Center Street in Kalispell on Tuesday, Dec. 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A utility crew at the scene of an early-morning fire in a commercial structure along West Center Street in Kalispell on Tuesday, Dec. 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
A Kalispell Fire Department firefighter sprays a hot spot at the scene of an early-morning fire in a commercial structure along West Center Street in Kalispell on Tuesday, Dec. 17. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider