Noxon fire chief says arson not suspected in blaze that burned three businesses

Noxon's fire chief told attendees at a community meeting Saturday that no evidence of arson was found during the initial investigation into the cause of a fire that destroyed three businesses in the rural Sanders County town last week.

The Mercantile and Café, Angry Beaver General Store and Toby’s Tavern in Noxon burned in the early morning fire Feb. 27. Officials initially suspected the fire started in the Angry Beaver and spread to the other stores.

On Saturday, about 100 people attended an informational meeting at the Noxon School led by Noxon Fire Chief Jim Byler. Sanders County Commissioner Anthony Cox, Sen. Jon Tester’s Regional Director Chad Campbell and Sanders County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Eric Pfleger were also in attendance.

Byler said an out-of-state insurance investigator will inspect the fire damage and may be able to answer some of the questions about the cause of the blaze.

“Nothing points to arson as the cause of the fire,” Byler told the crowd. “Let the fire insurance [investigator] do their job.” 

Pfleger and Byler asked attendees to help their investigation by supplying any photos or video from security cameras that may offer insight into how the fire started.

Residents expressed concerns about whether the three businesses were going to rebuild. 

“It’s up to the property owners if they come back,” Byler said. “We need to work together to bring the community back. We are not going to let Noxon become a ghost town.” 

Owner of the Angry Beaver, Teresa Jackson said they will try rebuilding as soon as possible. She purchased the store 14 months ago after being the manager of the business. The Angry Beaver employed four people. 

Noxon Mercantile and Café owner Amy Klaschik was non-committal when asked about any rebuilding plans. The owner of Toby’s Tavern, which has been in business since 1967, was not available for questions at the meeting. 

Byler said that he was personally on the fire scene from 6 a.m. Tuesday, when he was called out to the fire, until Thursday. The fire required someone to be on scene the entire day, he said.

“About every 20 minutes we opened the lines and shot some water,” Byler explained. “It was too hot to leave. Two of us stayed.”

“The fire department is sorry for what happened,” Byler told the crowd Saturday. “We had 29 guys and 13 trucks there.” 

Fundraising efforts for the town are already underway. 

A Go Fund Me page is set up as the Noxon Strong Recovery Fund. The funds collected will be evenly distributed to each of the businesses affected by the fire. 

Northwest Landmark Real Estate is sponsoring a hat and T-shirt sales program to help raise funds, as well. Those interested in purchasing items can email diane.nwlandmark@gmail.com. All of the sales are donated to the Noxon Strong fundraising campaign.

Drop boxes for donations were supplied by Northwest Landmark Real Estate and have been set up around Noxon, Trout Creek, Thompson Falls, Clark Fork, Idaho, and Heron.

At the end of the meeting, Byler presented each business with $500 checks donated by Noxon firefighters.

A spaghetti feed to help the business will take place in Trout Creek at the Lakeside Event Center March 23 from 1-5 p.m. The organizers are Jamie KcKenzie and James Quigle. For additional information contact them at 406-499-2321 and 406-291-1809.

      Noxon Fire Chief Jim Byler and Sanders County Sheriff's Office Deputy Eric Pfleger at an informational meeting in Noxon on Saturday. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)

    Firefighters respond to a fire at the Mercantile and Cafe, Angry Beaver and Toby's Tavern in Noxon on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)