Resident escapes burning Post Falls home

A Post Falls man escaped his burning home early today after finding fire behind a closed bedroom door. Seth Weisenbach told firefighters that he was awakened by a smoke alarm about 5:15 a.m. and found that the fire was coming from another bedroom at 204 W. 13th St. Fearing that another occupant might be inside the burning room, Weisenbach kicked open the door and discovered a fire that had grown too large to extinguish. He also discovered that the occupant of the room was not home. He retreated and called firefighters, who were able to bring the fire under control quickly but not before it caused extensive fire damage, said Jim Lyon, public information officer for Kootenai Fire & Rescue. The fire agency sent 15 firefighters to the scene. Lyon said a dog was rescued from the home. Homeowner Liz Weisenbach told firefighters she was at work in Spokane when the fire started. The cause of the fire was under investigation. The American Red Cross was notified to help the residents. Lyon said the smoke detector, which had been installed by the fire agency, allowed Seth Weisenbach to get out in time.