POLSON — Some residents in Polson are looking for temporary living arrangements after a fire destroyed two homes and damaged a garage on Wednesday morning.
The Polson City Fire Department was called out at approximately 6:30 a.m. to the 500 block of Third Street West for a reported structure fire.
Arriving units found a single-family home fully involved with fire. According to a news release, the occupant of the home had been woken up by a smoke alarm and had left the house.
Due to heavy fire conditions and close proximity of structures, the fire extended to the house located to the south of the initial fire.
The residents of the second involved house were alerted by law enforcement and self-evacuated, according to Polson City Fire Department spokeswoman Jodi O’Sullivan.
Mutual aid was called in Polson Rural Fire, Finley Point Fire, and the Ronan Fire Department, with a total of 11 apparatus and 40 firefighters responding to the scene.
O’Sullivan says the fires weren’t exintuighed until 10 a.m. on Wednesday and that overhaul and salvage operations continued until 1 p.m.
Both houses are uninhabitable and considered total losses, according to O’Sullivan with total damages estimated at $420,000 for all of the structures.
The investigation into the cause of the fire – which is believed to be accidental -- is being conducted with the assistance of the Montana State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The Red Cross is helping the displaced residents find temporary living arrangements.
There were no fire related injuries reported by any of the residents or emergency personnel.
