MISSOULA — Crews battled a mobile home fire in Missoula on Thursday evening.
Firefighters responded to the 4700 block of Wilkie Street shortly before 6:15 p.m. after a caller told 911 dispatchers that the back porch and wall, of his mobile home, were on fire.
Missoula Rural Fire District Battalion Chief Ron Lubke says crews arrived to find “significant charring” on the side of the home and light smoke, and people evacuating the home.
Crews determined that the fire had burned the exterior of the home and a portion of the back porch.
Lubke says it appears the occupant had knocked down the fire with a portable fire extinguisher and a garden hose.
The single-wide mobile home was filled with smoke and crews found “an active fire was discovered still burning underneath the home,” according to a news release.
Crews were able to quickly extinguish the remaining fire under the structure.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but it appears to be accidental in nature.
Damage is estimated between $5,000 and $10,000, with an estimated $100,000.00 of property saved.
The homeowner was napping when the fire broke out and was woken up by smoke detectors in the home.
The homeowner was evaluated by EMS personnel at the scene for exposure to smoke.
"Had it not been for the properly installed and functioning smoke detectors this incident would likely have had a significantly worse outcome,” the release states.
People are being encouraged to have working smoke detectors in their homes.
Detectors should be placed on every level of the home, in all bedrooms and outside all sleeping areas.
