Cause of Riverside Auto fire undetermined

As of Wednesday, the cause remained undetermined for a four-alarm Monday fire that heavily damaged Riverside Auto Center.

“We’re not there yet,” said Bonners Ferry Fire Chief Pat Warkentin. “We have some ideas, but we won’t put those out until we have everyone on the same page.”

Warkentin and an investigator with the Idaho Fire Marshalls’ office in Coeur d’Alene spent about eight hours Tuesday investigating the blaze that at 12:23 p.m. forced about 15 employees from Riverside and Deborah Youngwirth CPA office into the downtown streets.

Among them was Bill Hiatt Sr., who watched helplessly as the heat blew out his office windows, and smoke and flames surged. Even as Hiatt watched, he vowed to rebuild the Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep dealership his father brought to Bonners Ferry 38 years ago.

“We have insurance to cover all this and we will rebuild,” he said. “We don’t have a clue what has been ruined — titles and paperwork. We concentrated on getting everyone out.”

“You never know when you come to work what’s going to happen,” added his son, Bill Hiatt Jr., who is president of Riverside Auto Center. “We were just starting to roll again. That’s the sad part.”

Bonners Ferry firefighters Gary Falcon and Doug Ladley were treated for minor injuries at Boundary Community Hospital. Thirty-two firefighters, including fro South Boundary, Paradise Valley and North Bench fire departments, battled the fire as temperatures climbed into the mid-90s.

The building that burnt down occupied the dealership’s showroom and offices. The service and auto body shops are in a separate building about 50 yards from the building that was destroyed.

There was one car — a Dodge Caliber — in the showroom at the fourth-generation dealership when the fire broke out. It appeared to have little damage, said Wendy Hawks, vice-president of Riverside Auto.

Plants and signs in the showroom also were not damaged and records in the back room were spared. The main-frame computer system was in the service building.

Bill Hiatt Sr. also lost collectibles, like Tonka trucks, and personal items located in his second-floor office, which is where it’s believed the fire started.

Internet manager Russ Hiatt lost memorabilia from his office, including items from Boy Scouts and a large painting of an elk he received from his father.

Bill Hiatt Jr.’s grandson Josh Hawks said he smelled smoke a couple of minutes before the fire broke out.

“I was out in front and saw my grandpa run upstairs,” Hawks said. “Smoke was coming from his office. We called 911 and gathered everyone up as fast as we could and got everyone out.”

Sher Aucutt, a former emergency medical technician and firefighter, was coming out of nearby Larson’s Department Store when she saw the smoke.  

“Two seconds later I saw the flames and then the whole building was engulfed with the flames,” said Aucutt. “I have never seen a building go up that fast.”

Riverside salesman Ken Yount feared that he lost family and wedding pictures in his office, but they were spared.

Just minutes before the fire, Connie Hamlin went to Riverside in hopes of buying her first-ever new car. The 64-year-old Bonners Ferry woman planned to take advantage of a $1 billion federal stimulus plan that will give her $4,500 for trading in her 16-year-old vehicle.

“We were going to buy a Chevy Aveo, but (salesman) Ken Yount wasn’t there,” Hamlin said.

She ran over to the nearby Safeway for a few things.

“By the time we got into the checkout line, I heard Riverside was burning,” she said. “I just sold my home in St. Maries and I’ve got some cash. I can’t believe it.”

Riverside Auto Center was started in Sandpoint as Lakeshore Motors. Owner Fran Hiatt expanded the business in 1971 to Bonners Ferry, selling Datsuns. Bill Hiatt Sr., who is Fran’s son, and Bill’s wife, Linda, in 1974 moved to Bonners Ferry, where they co-owned the dealership with Fran Hiatt.

Riverside Auto Center was first opened in a separate nearby building, which is now the service and body shop department. Twenty-five years ago, Bill Hiatt Sr. spent $100,000 to renovate the building that was destroyed.