Firefighters pounce on fire at Columbia Falls High School

Firefighters quickly quelled a blaze at the Columbia Falls High School on Monday night about 7 p.m.

It could have been worse, but fortunately a neighbor saw smoke and flames coming from the roof of the classroom wing, where contractors are working on replacing the roof, Columbia Falls Fire Chief Karl Weeks said.

The construction activity — grinding, sawing and other metalwork may have caused the blaze, Weeks noted.

Columbia Falls firefighters along with Whitefish, Kalispell, Evergreen responded to the fire.

Kalispell was called in with its ladder truck and Columbia Falls used its ladder truck as well to fight the fire on the two-story-plus structure.

Weeks said they were able to contain the blaze to the ceiling.

Firefighters had already begun leaving the scene by 8 p.m.

The high school had a fire more than 20 years ago, when a soda machine caused a fire in the lobby.

Separately, firefighters also responded to a fire at the Weyerhaeuser MDF plant in Columbia Falls earlier in the day. A storage building had a fire. It was largely put out before firefighters arrived.

The fire danger is ramping up significantly, as the area heads into the second week of a heat wave, with temperatures in the mid to upper 90s to 100 every day and no relief in sight.