Downtown Kalispell Business Damaged by Early Morning Fire
No one was injured in fire; cause of blaze remains under investigation
By Justin Franz
Firefighters from multiple departments across the Flathead Valley responded to a fire in downtown Kalispell early Wednesday that damaged a real estate office.
According to a press release from the Kalispell Fire Department, a fire was reported at RE/MAX at 1 Main Street shortly before 6 a.m. on Wednesday, July 17. When firefighters arrived, they found flames and heavy smoke pouring from the building.
No one was injured in the fire, although some nearby apartments were evacuated.
Firefighters from Kalispell, South Kalispell, Evergreen, Whitefish, Smith Valley, and West Valley all aided in the effort to put out the fire.
Firefighters initially tried to fight the fire inside the building but had to retreat because of excessive heat and smoke. Personnel fought the fire from outside until it was safe to go back inside.
The cause of the fire is under investigation but foul play is not suspected.
The RE/MAX office received heavy damage from the fire; an estimate of losses was unavailable on Wednesday afternoon.
The Kalispell Fire Department thanked the Kalispell Police Department, Northwestern Energy and Flathead Electric for their assistance in responding to the fire.