Trailer total loss after second fire, second ignition suspicious

SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire on Tamarack Drive on Monday, Oct. 18 just after 11 p.m. According to Fire Chief Dave Lane, volunteer firefighters extinguished the fire and left the scene around 3 a.m. Tuesday morning. They were called back within an hour to the trailer that was 25 percent involved when he arrived. Lane said he determined the initial start was electrical in origin. However, the second start was suspicious. No one was injured and the trailer was a total loss.

Volunteers were dispatched at 11:18 p.m. Monday night to a burning porch attached to the front of a single-wide trailer. Lane arrived on scene within five minutes and neighbors were watering down the area with hoses.

The first engine was on scene within 15 minutes followed by the tender within 30 minutes of the initial call. Lane said they had eight to 10 volunteers respond. Law enforcement was also on scene and assisted with the investigation.

The main fire was knocked down within 30 minutes of the first engine arriving. While most of it was contained to the porch, fire did enter the trailer. Lane and he and the Missoula County Sheriffs Deputy agreed the fire started from an electrical issue underneath the trailer. Electrical cords were being misused which caused the insulation to smolder. When it was exposed to oxygen, it ignited outside the front door.

Volunteers spent the next three hours overhauling the scene. Lane explained they physically moved debris, wet it down and ensured that the structure was cold to the touch. While fire had entered the structure, most of it was intact.

"We did extensive overhaul and made sure it was safe to leave," Lane said. "We don't leave when things are cool, we leave when things are cold."

Lane said they used the thermal imager camera and heat gun prior to leaving. Everything was less than 60 degrees when they left, there was a lot of water on the floor and inside the trailer and the outside air temperature was around 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

All resources left the scene around 3 a.m.

The Department was dispatched for a "rekindle" less than an hour later.

"You need 450 degrees for combustion. There was no way that that was going to happen at that temperature," Lane said adding the electricity had been shut off so that was not the issue. "Things are very suspicious."

Lane said there were people that he didn't know that came by during the first incident and were asking a lot of questions. When he arrived at the second fire, he said he saw people leaving.

"People obviously didn't know that I was that close. They scurried out of there very quickly," Lane said.

The part of the structure that had not burned before was involved with fire. Lane estimates 25% of the trailer was involved when he arrived. The neighbors were again trying to help.

"The fire moved very quickly through the trailer," Lane said. "It was abnormally fast cause I sat there and watched."

He knew the cause was not electrical because power had been shut off. He notified Missoula County Sheriff's Office resident deputy and explained his findings. His report left the cause under investigation as suspicious circumstances.

The response time for the engine was longer on the second call and only one responded with three volunteers.

"We worked hard for that first one. So we had less people on the second one and the people that were there were tired," Lane said. "It took them a little longer to get there but they still worked hard and we busted our butt to get that fire out again making sure nothing was going to reignite."

Lane said he returned the next day and there were more findings that made him suspicious of the circumstances.

"Because of the lack of insurance, the lack of property value and all that stuff, there was no fatalities and no injuries, so the Fire Marshal's Office typically doesn't get involved unless those things happen," Lane said. "I don't have the capabilities to research much further than that. That is why I told law enforcement and they are going to do or not do whatever they choose."

The Sheriff's Office is not investigating the fire. In a statement released by the Sheriff's Office, they highlighted Montana Code Annotated 50-63-202 that states in summary, if a fire occurs within an organized Fire District, the fire chief or their designee shall conduct the investigation.

"Missoula County Sheriff's Office, resources and staff stands ready to assist our local first responder agencies as requested," the Sheriff's Office said in their statement. "In the case of the fire that ignited on Oct. 18, on Tamarack Drive, Missoula County Sheriff's Office resident deputies have been in communication with the Seeley Lake Fire Chief and our assistance has not been requested at this time."

Sheriff TJ McDermott added, "Missoula County Sheriff's Office is proud of the work done to serve our communities and we are committed to safeguarding the lives and property of those we serve."

There has been a GoFundMe account set up to help the home owner Albert Castillion recover from the fire. To donate visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-albert-recover-after-house-fire?qid=9c51ae4f9c6c474decc553cc144c722e&fbclid=IwAR39NH5Mik5Ez5a0GwrYvhtFLiaqDLQkeo180XHzGNldxIhAW7IC9KBodKk