Missoula Fire Department Battles Mobile Home Blaze on Saturday

The Missoula Fire Department responded to a mobile home fire on Cooley Street on Saturday afternoon in which one of the residents sustained minor burns.

Acting Battalion Chief Jeff Kroll said three fire engines, a ladder truck and a total of 17 fire department personnel responded to the blaze at 1700 Cooley number 22.

“Occupants of the residence were alerted to a smoke detector activation in the back of their home, they investigated to find smoke coming from a utility room,” Kroll wrote in a press release.

“The occupants quickly evacuated the structure to a safe area outside and alerted 911. The homeowner tried to open a door to the area of fire origin from the exterior when he was exposed to fire and received minor burns. Fire crews quickly arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from under the structure. The fire crews made an aggressive interior fire attack and extinguished the fire that was coming from under the structure. The fire was contained to the area of origin. The home did sustain smoke damage prior to being ventilated by the fire crews once they arrived.”

The fire department strongly urges all homeowners and renters to have working smoke detectors throughout the structure, and that they be linked together so that all residents of the home will be warned in case of fire.

Property damage was estimated at about $5,000, but property saved was estimated at about $25,000.