Firefighters put out an electrical fire in Polson
<p>Left to right, firefighters Dale Ramesar and Pete Bishop work to extinguish the fire.</p>
Polson City firefighters were called to the scene of light smoke coming from the eaves of above an apartment balcony May 20.
The emergency dispatch call arrived at about 10 a.m., when Polson’s Lakeview Village Apartments manager, who was standing on his own balcony, saw light smoke curling up from eaves of one of his buildings.
The manager ran to the building and alerted apartment residents while waiting for emergency responders.
Polson Police Department officers arrived on scene first and evacuated the building.
Members of Polson City Fire Department, Finley Point Fire Department and Ronan Fire Department responded to the complex across the street from Super 1 Foods.
Clint Cottle, Polson City Fire Chief, said that an investigation into the smoke ended with the discovery of a recessed light fixture inside one of the apartments that was smoldering.
Cottle said that the smoldering light fixture did not produce active flames until firefighters were forced to open the ceiling near the fixture and introduced air to the area.
Emergency workers then extinguished the small fire, Cottle said.
The apartment sustained minor structural damage in the fire and the apartment’s occupant might have experienced some minor smoke damage, he said.