St. Regis family loses home in structure fire

The St. Regis and West End volunteer fire departments teamed up on the second structural fire within a week on Feb. 9, this time at 1130 Montana 135.

The family had evacuated from the home safely and their pet, which had gone missing, was found a few hours later. 

St. Regis responded with a crew of seven including a structure engine, two tenders, a quick response unit and a crash truck. The West End department arrived to assist with a crew of five and brought three additional pieces of firefighting equipment. 

“The fire had entered the roof and walls from a chimney fire,” said Kat Kittridge, assistant fire chief with St. Regis and emergency medical services manager. 

While the structure remains, the home is a total loss. The Red Cross had been notified and was working on securing temporary shelter for the family. 

Both departments worked together on a house fire in DeBorgia last Wednesday night that resulted in one death.

The St. Regis department responded to a semitruck crash earlier in the week and again with the Superior Volunteer Fire Department to a semitruck accident on U.S. 90. In the latter crash, the semitruck slid on its side and spilled a large quantity of beer on its way to southern Idaho. 

“When the proverbial rain starts, it pours,” Kittridge said. 

Before the Mineral County fires, Sanders County had paged the Plains Volunteer Fire Department for two structure fires within two hours of each other. 

“While winter temperatures go low, it’s a good reminder that wood stoves need to be checked for creosote buildup in the stove pipe. Be sure that items that are flammable are stored away from the stove,” Kittridge said. “As well as space heaters that some people use to keep their pipes from freezing.” 

Kittridge said that firefighters recommend tip-over sensors on space heaters that shut the unit off when it falls over, as an added precaution.

“In Mineral County, we are a tight knit group,” said Frank Magee of the mutual aid. Magee is chief of the West End Volunteer Fire Department in DeBorgia and spoke highly of the agency's working relationship with its counterpart in St. Regis. 

“Some firefighters receive a small stipend to keep the volunteerism growing but it’s the care and love of the respective communities that have people doing this on their own time,” he said. 

All fire departments in the county have openings for new recruits who want to learn new skills, help protect their neighbors and build strong relationships. 

“And not to forget the Superior Area Ambulance,” Kittridge added.

On both structure-fires, the ambulance had a crew on the scene for the safety of neighbors and responders.