Arson Fire Damages Home In East Central Neighborhood

A fire in the 2300 block of East First Avenue Sunday afternoon was caused by arson, Fire Marshal Garry Miller said.

Off-duty firefighter Tom Yergen noticed the plume of smoke above the home at 2324 E. First Ave. on his way out of town Sunday afternoon, Miller said.

He stopped by and asked neighbors to call 911. Yergen checked the home, entered through a side door and yelled inside to see if anyone was home. Nobody was.

“The smoke was so thick he stayed out,” Capt. Bob Ebbighausen said.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 3:44 p.m. and put out the fire in less than 10 minutes, Ebbighausen said.

The first and second stories of the home were extensively damaged, he said.

The Post Falls Fire Department sent its arson detection dog, Abby, over to the home, Miller said. The dog helped fire investigators determine arson caused the fire, he said.

No one was home when the fire started. The home, complete with furniture, was apparently rented out.

“Apparently somebody had been evicted or was going to be evicted,” Ebbighausen said.

One neighbor said many children and people lived there; another said only a mother and her two children lived there.

“They mostly kept to themselves,” the neighbor said.

Anyone with any information on the fire is asked to call Arson Alarm at (800) 55-ARSON, the Fire Department at 625-7000 or Crime Check at 456-2233.

“There were reports that people had been seen running from the place,” Ebbighausen said. “There were some neighbors concerned.”

, DataTimes