None injured as fire burns Arlee salvage yard

It was a close call for residents on Red Tail Lane in Arlee on Thursday afternoon as multiple crews battled a blaze in a junkyard.

There were no injuries, according to Fire Prevention Specialist C.T. Camel.

Damages at Kelly’s Auto Salvage & Wrecker Service were not immediately known, Camel said Thursday.

Owner of the yard, Kelly Wolcott, said on Tuesday morning that the fire appeared to have come “from outside the yard into our yard.”

In all, Wolcott said that 487 cars were damaged, which is about “a quarter” of the business inventory. About 1,000 feet of stringing fence was lost in the fire, too, he added.

Fire Prevention Specialist and Investigator for the Division of Fire Devlin LaFrombois said that the investigation is complete, but his findings will now be turned over to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

He confirmed that so far, no charges have been filed.

Shawn Kullmer, a Red Tail Lane resident, was downstairs on the phone when his 10-year-old son came inside and said a neighbor needed help with a fire in her backyard.

He went outside to see the fire and neighbors working together to contain it.

The blaze, he said, could have been caused by his son or his friend.

“I don’t know who’s telling the truth,” he began, adding that both boys were saying that the other caused it.

Kullmer said the fire is believed to have been started with a lighter.

Fire officials spoke with Kullmer briefly, but no further conversation was exchanged as of 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

Kullmer said he is aware that the owner of Kelly’s Auto could hold him responsible.

Neighbor Katie Miller said that the “neighbor boys” went around the neighborhood, alerting residents to the fire.

Miller, who works in Pablo, received a phone call from her son saying “you wouldn’t believe what is happening here,” she said.

The extreme dry weather caused concern, she said, because of the fire being separated from the neighborhood by a wooden fence.

Officials called for an evacuation, Miller added, because the winds were blowing the smoke and fire toward the houses.

While crews were fighting the fire, winds shifted and residents were allowed back into the neighborhood, where they watched the scene unfold.

“You think you’re safe because you’re surrounded by mountains,” Miller said.

Katie Ward, also a Red Tail Lane resident, was in Missoula at work when she received a call from her husband, explaining the situation.

“My husband called and said we were evacuated,” she recalled, adding “It’s a scary, scary call to get.”

Both Miller and Ward said that the close call will prompt them to keep “evacuation bags” ready in the event any more evacuations are called.

Having watched seasonal fires from a distance, Miller said “a front row seat” made her “nervous.”

Ward added, “I thought we were in a safe space, so to have a close call is worrisome.”

Both women said that they thank the first responders, who seemed to be on the scene soon after the fire was reported.

Miller said, on behalf of the neighborhood, crews were thanked for their hard work.

Camel confirmed that there were three Division of Fire engines, “miscellaneous overhead” including a Type I helicopter and a Type III helicopter, Arlee Rural Fire, Ronan Rural Fire and Frenchtown Rural.

Also assisting were a Type II hand crew from Arizona, Camel said, on its way to the Liberty fire.

“I stand in awe,” Miller said, noting how swiftly crews worked to extinguish the fire.

“This attack (on the fire) has been incredible,” she added.