Second House In A Week Burns Down In Rose Lake Owner Gone As Neighbors Fight Fire; Rural Area Is Without Protection

Fire destroyed a home in the Rose Lake area Friday, less than a week after another home burned in the rural community without fire protection.

Gailyn Wood was not home when her home burned to the ground, neighbors and authorities said. No one was injured.

The pink house was on Lane Road off state Highway 3 between Rose Lake and Harrison. It caught fire about 3 p.m.

“It started at a power pole, evidently,” said neighbor Donna Scheffelmaier. “My husband (Fred) and a neighbor were trying to put it out. They got in the house and got some of the furniture and pictures out.”

Neighbors also rescued a dog from the house.

Students riding home from Harrison on the school bus watched the flames engulf the house.

Because the Rose Lake area is not in a fire protection district, no agency responded to put the fire out.

Idaho State Police responded to the scene as did a Kootenai County Sheriff’s deputy.

Though witnesses guessed the fire started from a power pole, Wood told police that she suspected arson, because she had seen a strange car in the neighborhood recently.

Department of Lands firefighters showed up after hearing surrounding timber was threatened by the burning house and outbuildings. Though they had a water truck, they did not attempt to quench the structure fire, neighbors said.

“The Department of Lands was there to protect trees. They don’t do houses,” said Lt. Ben Wolfinger of the sheriff’s department.

Neighbors did not know whether Wood, who lived alone, has fire insurance.

Some residents of the area have attempted to form a fire protection district in past years, but too many residents were in opposition.

Another house burned to the ground Sunday near Rose Lake, three miles south of Interstate 90, leaving the DeHart family homeless.

Authorities suspect that fire was caused by an electrical problem.