Heater suspected in house fire
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October 21, 2013 |
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| Debbie Weland
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A gas space heater is suspected of sparking a
Sunday morning house fire in Bonners Ferry that
destroyed the upper floor of an Arizona Street
Duplex and sent two people, including a Bonners
Ferry Police officer, to the hospital.
Officer Willie Cowell, while on routine patrol,
saw the fire at 6320 Arizona Street and
requested fire and ambulance crews at 7:14 a.m.
Sunday, informing dispatch that the upper floor
appeared engulfed and that he'd heard several
explosions.
Moments earlier, neighbor Brad Woodward heard
screams for help and ran to assist, finding
upstairs occupant Jackie Woods hanging out a
second floor window he'd broken to escape the
flames. Woodward grabbed a ladder and held it as
Woods climbed down to safety.
Immediately on arrival, Cowell entered the home
and was able to search and clear the first
floor, but he and a sheriff's deputy who arrived
to assist were unable to gain access to the
second floor to see if anyone else was trapped
due to the heat and smoke.
Woods was transported by Boundary Volunteer
Ambulance to Boundary Community Hospital for
lacerations and smoke inhalation; he was later
transported to the Intensive Care Unit at
Kootenai Medical Center.
After Bonners Ferry fire fighters set up and the
scene secured, officer Cowell was also taken to
Boundary County Hospital, where he was treated
and released for smoke inhalation.
Once on scene, fire crews were able to quickly
contain the fire and determine that no one else
was inside the duplex, though they remained on
scene for several hours extinguishing the blaze
and mopping up hot spots. According to Bonners
Ferry Fire Chief Pat Warkentin, it appears
likely the the fire was started on the second
floor by a gas space heater.
"It's still being looked at," he said, "but
early signs are that the space heater is the
point of origin. We were able to contain the
fire to the second floor, but the first floor
sustained significant smoke and water damage."
According to neighbors, the family occupying the
first floor was out of town visiting family for
the weekend. |
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