POST FALLS, Idaho — A mother and nine children are safe thanks to working smoke alarms.
Kootenai County Fire and Rescue (KCFR) Chief Chris Way said the family was able to escape after a fire broke out in their Post Falls garage sometime before 7:30 Wednesday morning.
“Came in as there were maybe ten people trapped in the house," Chief Way said of the initial call.
Though the emergency response was quick, the fire may have been burning for some time before it was noticed. The home is uninhabitable. “The fire had gotten a pretty good start in the garage area, had already moved into the kitchen space and up through the kitchen into the attic space," Chief Way said.
It wasn't just the spread of the flames that made this fire difficult for firefighters. The day's high temperatures, even early in the morning, prompted a bigger response. “We did call a second alarm because of the heat today and the stress on the firefighters," Chief Way said. "Obviously it’s one of the hottest days of the year. Everybody’s wearing 75-89 pounds of gear when fighting a fire.”
That made the potentially deadly fire much more dangerous, which meant calling in the larger crew to keep rotating firefighters out so they could stay hydrated and have vitals checked.
The firefighting effort took around an hour, with no injuries reported.
“One of the captains told me on his thermal imaging camera it was 750 degrees on the top floor of the house while they were searching," Chief Way said.
Investigators are now looking into how the fire started, but Chief Way said they've already identified where it likely happened and have some ideas on what sparked it.
Post Falls house fire displaces mother and nine kids
It's believed that the fire started in the garage, but an investigation will still be conducted to determine the exact cause of the fire.
No members of the family were injured due to the fire, according to KCFR.
Check back for updates on this story throughout the day and on KREM 2 News at 4,5 and 6.
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