Hot skillet sparks house fire

A skillet left on a stove was the cause of a house fire on Sunday.

The Montana 135 home was saved and no injuries were reported as local firefighters stomped out the blaze.

Plains Paradise Rural Fire District’s Chief James Russell said that because the house was locked up, it prevented the fire from taking off as oxygen could not fuel the flames.

“The fire was contained mainly to the kitchen area which saw the most damage. Other close-proximity rooms saw heat and smoke damage. However overall it wasn’t as bad as it could have been,” said Russell.

Fire crews that also aided on the scene were Plains City Fire Department, Plains Community Fire and Sanders County Sheriff’s deputies.

Local paramedics on duty also attended the house fire and stayed until firefighters cleared the home.

The alarm was raised by family members who live close by. They were able to save the family dog who was inside when the blaze started.

“It was just an accident, these kinds of fires you can see often in winter months,” said Russell.

The homeowner said they were thankful no one was hurt and that the dog is OK.