Family Out While Fire Guts Home

When a fire broke out in her Wardner mobile home Wednesday, Heather Gillespie, 22, was borrowing a friend’s telephone to discuss Thanksgiving plans.

With her were her daughters, 8-month-old Merissa and 3-yearold Ashley. Her husband, Tom, 23, was at his job at Bunker Hill.

“The house is gutted. I’m so thankful the children weren’t in there,” Gillespie said.

No one was home to notice the fire, which apparently started in a small washer-dryer that had caused problems recently.

The fire at 714 Main St. was reported around 10:15 a.m. Firefighters put it out in a matter of minutes.

“The damage was confined to one room, but what wasn’t ruined by fire was damaged by heat and smoke,” said Dale Costa, chief of Shoshone Fire District 1. The Salvation Army provided emergency assistance to the family, but Costa said he suspected the family could use assistance “for the long haul.”

Tom’s sister, Sheila Milholland, said the Gillespies will probably tear the trailer down. They plan to stay with Tom’s parents until they can find a new place to live.

Clothing for the girls, food, cash or just about anything else would come in handy, Milholland said.

“Maybe something like an end table could be salvaged but even that’s bad. They lost everything, really,” she said on Wednesday.

“I feel so bad. Tomorrow isn’t just Thanksgiving - it’s Tom’s birthday.”

Donations for the Gillespies may be dropped off at Jason’s Snowshoe Inn (formerly Fred’s) in Kellogg, or sent to the family: in care of Milholland at 602 French Gulch Road, Kingston, ID 83837.