Fireworks start blaze, claim home
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UPDATED JULY 3
RONAN — A young child playing with fireworks sent a Ronan home up in flames June 30 and left a family homeless just before a county-wide ban on the novelties went into place.
“He lit one, threw it into a bush, the bush caught fire and away it went,” Ronan Fire Chief Mark Clary said.
Two people who were in the apartment on the west end of the building on Beaverhead Lane had to be pulled out via a window because of the quick-moving, intense flames. A door that could have been used as an alternate escape route had also been permanently locked by the landlord. Those who jumped from the window suffered minor injuries.
According to Darlene Finley, daughter of Cassandra McClure Steele, who lived at the home with her grandchildren, there was not a smoke detector or fire extinguisher in the home, and water pressure to the building was very low, making it impossible for those living in the home to be able to fight the fire. Fuels in the east end of the building’s shop intensified the flames.
Clary expressed gratitude to the Polson Volunteer Fire Department and Charlo Volunteer Fire Department, that helped assist with the blaze.
“With something that hot, the body only takes so much,” Clary said. “It was nice to have extra people.”
Clary notified the American Red Cross in Polson about the impacted family’s needs. The Red Cross has provided a room in Bayview Inn for the family, but according to Finley the "only thing they have is the clothes on their backs."
Finley said people can contact her if they are interested in donating items for her mother or nephews, at 406-214-7045.
The family's needs include clothing for Steele. She has a size 32 waist, or ladies size 14 pants. She wears large shirts. Her ladies shoe size is 8.5, and her men's shoe size is 6.5.
For a 5-year-old boy, clothing in size 5-6 is needed. For a six-year-old boy, size 6-7 clothing is needed. A nine-year-old boy wears sizes 8-9 and 10-12.
All three boys wear shoes sizes 1, 1.5, and 2. Household items are also appreciated.
A fireworks ban for Lake County and statewide Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in currently in place.
Clary said he would be wary of doing any outdoor activity that involves so much as a spark.
“Be extremely careful because it is dry, dry,” Clary said. “We are at August levels now, and late August levels. We are dry.”
