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Structure fire claims wood heater

by Melanie Crowson/Valley Press
| September 14, 2012 9:26 AM

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<p>Firefighters go through and soak each piece of wood after putting out the wood heater fire Sept. 14. The fire consumed the whole heater structure, and no one was injured.</p>

PLAINS - Shortly before 3 a.m. this morning, a fire consumed the wood heater structure belonging to Leon and Dora Lanphear of Plains.

The fire, initially thought to be a residence fire, began due to unknown causes and was put out by Plains Volunteer Fire Department with Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District in assistance. They were worried the fire would reach the propane heater, just 20 yards from the wood pilings and wood heater.

Friendly neighbor Bridget Ward of Plains was the reporting party on the first emergency call to Sanders County Dispatch, and she said it was her dogs that alerted her awake.

"My dogs started barking, going crazy and woke me up," Ward said. "Then I look out my window and see all the flames and I called 9-1-1."

The location of the fire, 705 S. 4th Avenue, was just a block from the PVD fire hall, and firefighters were able to get to the fire very quickly. Shortly after getting the fire out, they went through each piece of wood in the large wood pile and soaked them with water and flame suppressant. 

No one was injured from the incident.

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