Arson Suspected In Hauser Fire

Hauser Lake firefighters suspect arson in a late Saturday blaze, the second suspicious fire at the same residence in recent months.

The house at 5880 Cloverleaf Road in Hauser was not destroyed. Flames were contained to a bedroom, but the rest of the home was damaged by smoke.

Kootenai County sheriff’s reports said Mark and Linda Willems came home to find their house on fire about 8 p.m. Their dog also was found dead on the front porch. The animal had not been inside the house.

Hauser Lake fire chief Myron Richardson immediately suspected arson.

“Whoever set the fire killed those people’s dog before they came into the house,” Hauser Lake fire chief Myron Richardson said.

Richardson said he also suspects arson in a fire at the same home last October. Different residents lived in the home at the time. Part of a deck and siding were destroyed in that blaze.