Old homes burned in St. Ignatius
Ethan Smith/Leader<br>Mission firefighter Charley Gariepy was one of a dozen firefighters at the scene last Saturday in which this home and two other structures were burned, per the recommendation of owners Kathy and Joe Felsman. The firefighters used it as a training exercise, and were there to ensure nearby trees didn’t catch fire.
ST. IGNATIUS — The Mission Fire Department spent last Saturday burning a couple of older homes deemed unsafe on St. Mary’s Lake Road, which provided some good practice for the crew while getting rid of some potentially unsafe structures.
“This is just a little practice,” chief Ray Frey said.
“And we are trying to keep the tree next to the house from exploding from the heat.”
Kathy Felsman and her brother Joe currently own the property, and they felt the homes on that property had become a hazard. They were worried the abandoned houses could be used for underage drinking, and felt the time was right to get rid of them.
“For safety, we wanted it burned down. We thought it was better for the fire department to do it than having something bad happen like maybe kids getting into the house and starting a fire or getting hurt,” Kathy Felsman said.
The small house had been home to many people over what was thought to be the past 100 years. Two other buildings nearby were also burned as part of the training exercise.
“Many, many people have lived in the home,” she said.
Mose Chouteh was one of the original owners of the home.
“Mose was our great uncle and when he died we inherited the place,” Joe Felsman said. “Our brother Charles was going to tear the house down and put another place there but he didn’t live long enough, and now it is our responsibility.”
The burn was successful and was completed without incident. The homes were located near the intersection of Repass Trail and Toweepah Road, at the start of St. Mary’s Lake Road on the south side of town.