Fire destroys part of home

BONNERS FERRY — A fire Sunday morning destroyed the upper story of a home on Arizona Street.

Bonners Ferry firefighters responded to the call at 7:14 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 20.

Neighbors heard the occupant hollering for help and found him hanging from the second-story windowsill, said Bonners Ferry Fire Chief Pat Warkentin. The man had broken the window to get out and was bleeding onto the metal roof below him as flames were visible in the window.

Firefighters put a ladder up to the roof and rescued the man, who was taken to the hospital.

Bonners Ferry City Police, Boundary Volunteer Ambulance and Boundary County Sheriff deputies also responded and personnel were on scene for five hours. Emergency personnel cleared the lower level which was found to be unoccupied.

The fire originated in the area around a natural gas-fired wall heater vented through the wall, said Warkentin. The fire totally destroyed the upper level and the lower level suffered smoke and water damage, said Warkentin.

The house, located at 6320 Arizona St., also had a fire in the same room five years ago. The first fire was caused by poor insulation around a chimney on a wood stove. The wood stove had since been removed, said Warkentin.