The Mission Mountain Mercantile in Condon burned to the ground early Wednesday morning as a fire swept through the building consuming it completely.

Missoula County Sheriff's Deputy Bob Parcell was the first to respond to the scene.

"I got the call at 12:23 this morning," Parcell said. "We contacted the owner of the store, and sure enough, the rear of the building was on fire. The fire progressed from the rear to the front and the building was eventually consumed."

Parcell said several fire departments responded to the blaze.

"They had fire trucks from Condon, all of Seeley Lake, and the Potomac Fire Department was covering Seeley," he said. "They put as much water was they could and they could not stop in, so it consumed the whole thing, and it was a total loss.The fire department did a great job keeping it away from the gas pumps and away from the power lines right above the building, and from the two huge propane tanks in the front and the back. If it had been August and very hot and dry, it could have been a real disaster, but they were able to keep the dire away from the trees."

Parcell, who serves the Seeley Lake area for the sheriff's office, said the destruction of the store is a huge loss for the Condon community.

"It's a huge loss..a crying shame," he said. "That means if you need a loaf of bread, a quart of milk or a tank of gas in the Swan valley, you've got to at least 30 miles to Seeley Lake to get it."

Parcell said a fire marshal from Flathead County has been on the scene since 8:00 a.m. to determine the cause of the fire. Parcell had no estimate of the monetary damage.

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