Multi-agency effort quells house fire

WALLACE – A Wallace residence has been declared a total loss after fire ripped through its interior Saturday morning.

Shoshone County Fire District No.1 Captain John Miller reports that firefighters were dispatched to the home at 937 Residence St. at 8:26 a.m. on Nov. 23.

At the time of alarm, the only two paid staff members on duty for SCFD No. 1 were in the process of responding to an unrelated vehicle accident in the Wallace area. Once those ambulance personnel confirmed that no injuries resulted from the crash, they diverted to the fire call and met the fire engine there, staffed by off-duty personnel.

The first fire crews arrived on-scene at 8:31 a.m. and were met with heavy fire in the rear of home.

“Fire had extended into the attic, providing a difficult task of advancing up the stairwell in ‘blackout’ conditions,” Cpt. Miller explained. “Roof access was difficult due to the slope of the roof.”

If the steep roof didn’t make things difficult enough, firefighters were hindered by a live power line to the house that hung low and blocked access to front of house.

Avista was contacted early on, but the closest electrical personnel were roughly 90 minutes away.

“This prevented crews from safely making access to the attic,” Miller said. “Preventative measures were made in case the fire melted the live line.”

Fire crews from SCFD No.2 and the Mullan Volunteer Fire Department responded not long after the initial units to assist in containing the blaze.

After a sustained suppression attack for nearly 6 hours, fire crews had completely extinguished the fire and left the scene.

No injuries to residents or emergency personnel were reported.

The initial investigation shows that point of ignition appears to have been on the back side of the home in the kitchen. The official cause of the fire is unknown at this time, but based on what the resident of the home told fire officials, a malfunctioning space heater may be to blame.

Miller was impressed with how efficient and safe all the crews from the various participating agencies worked together.

“Every paid off-duty member of the district and several volunteers worked for hours in cold conditions. I am very proud of their turn out and work ethic.”