Blaze At Empty Cabin Labeled Suspicious

Thu., March 18, 1999

A fire that damaged an unoccupied cabin west of Rathdrum was being investigated Wednesday as suspicious.

Firefighters called Tuesday night to Hidden Valley Road and state Highway 53 notified Kootenai County sheriff’s deputies after they found footprints in the snow leading to and from the cabin. Sheriff’s deputies using a dog followed the tracks to a car parked north of the cabin along Hidden Valley Road but made no arrests.

The fire was reported to the Rathdrum Fire Department about 7 p.m. The owner of the 20-by-30-foot cabin said it was used mostly for storage.

Damage to the cabin, which was not insured, and some office furniture kept inside was estimated at $6,000.

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