Family escapes house fire

PONDERAY — Two parents and three children escaped a fire Wednesday that destroyed their Cedar Street home.

There were no injuries, Northside Fire Chief Brad Mitton said on Thursday.

The fire was discovered at around 5:30 a.m. by a relative of the family who happened to be passing through the neighborhood in his vehicle.

“They were sleeping. They didn’t know,” Mitton said.

Mitton said the home was destroyed by the blaze, which appears to have started in the garage. A suspected cause of the fire was not released on Thursday.

“It’s still under investigation,” said Mitton.

Although the home was lost, Mitton said firefighters from Northside and Selkirk Fire Rescue & EMS were able to keep the conflagration from spreading to two nearby homes.

“We were able to save two exposures, two homes,” he said.

Northside said it was grateful for the support of Selkirk Fire and other first-responders. They included Bonner County EMS, the Bonner County sheriff’s office, Ponderay Police and the Idaho State Fire Marshall’s Office. Mitton said he was also particularly grateful for the help the public offered once firefighters arrived on the scene.

Neighbors of the family posted to the Sandpoint Yard Sale Facebook page to collect money and clothes for the family. The family reportedly has renter’s insurance, although the funds won’t be immediately available. The family lost everything in the fire, including their vehicle and the children’s bikes, according to the social media post.