An early morning blaze consumed a Spirit Lake home Saturday, along with two vehicles parked in the garage.

Elsewhere in the Panhandle, firefighters got a reprieve from blazes that threatened homes near Hayden Lake and burned trees along Lake Coeur d’Alene.

The unoccupied house at 9540 West Spirit Lake Road was smoldering around 6 a.m. Saturday. The foundation was all that remained.

The owners of the residence were away in their motor home at the time of the fire, officials said.

According to Spirit Lake Police Officer Joe Jovick, the homeowner’s firebreak - landscaping meant to protect the home from approaching flames - actually saved nearby neighborhood homes.

“There were several homes that were in the area that could have been threatened but the firebreak worked the opposite way, it stopped any fire from going away from the house,” Jovick said. “It could have been a lot worse.”

The owners of the house were not identified. The cause of the fire is unknown.

, DataTimes