Fourth home burned in five weeks

By Jennifer McBride - Leader Staff

The fourth house fire in five weeks destroyed another Polson-area home Sunday morning, as local fire crew had to battle icy roads as much as the fire itself.

The house, which was located near mile marker seven off Highway 35, on Holmes Creek Road, was built around 1957 and made of log and clapboard siding. Unfortunately for the resident, the road leading to the house was too slick for the Finley Point Fire Department's larger trucks to navigate when they first responded at about 10:30 Sunday morning.

"It was a very difficult situation from the get-go as far as access on the roads," said Chris Ricciardi, Finley Point Fire Chief. "The road going up to the house was complete ice."

Between the snow, the two sharp turns and the 35-degree slope, the only trucks that could make it up to the scene from the Finley Point Fire Department were a pair of Type-6 brush trucks with four-wheel drive, both of them designed to fight wildfires. Because the brush trucks are made for maneuverability, not carrying capacity, the trucks ran out of water before the fire ran out of fuel, Ricciardi said.

In the end, they had to have a sanding truck drive backwards up the road, laying sand from the rear because of the slick conditions. Ricciardi said he also ferried men and air tanks up in a pick-up truck with 4-wheel-drive.

Polson Fire Department was also able to get trucks up the slope after the sanding, and provided assistance, although the old log structure was fully engulfed within minutes.

Ricciardi said they didn't have 100 percent containment until 9:25 p.m., due to flare ups in the structure. The blaze ended up destroying the house completely, causing about $250,000 of property damage and $50,000 damage to the house's contents. The resident did not have insurance.