Suspicious Fire Destroys Four Vehicles Flames Leave St. Vincent De Paul Without Van, Residents Without Transportation, Livelihood

Fae Skific awoke to her neighbor banging on the front door early Monday morning.

“Your car’s on fire!”

came the yell.

Skific, who has lived in the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s transitional housing for three months, bolted outside.

There she saw her 1983 Nissan station wagon in flames. Her mementos she hadn’t brought inside also were going up in smoke.

“It’s kind of scary, isn’t it?” said Skific, who works as the building manager. “We sat outside and watched it burn.”

The flames jumped from Skific’s car to the transitional housing’s van and to two other residents’ cars. One resident - a seamstress by trade - had left her sewing machine inside her car. It was destroyed.

“She’s lost her livelihood,” said St. Vincent de Paul director Lynn Peterson. “It’s just totally insane.”

Police are investigating the fire as possible arson.

They arrived at the center at 1428 N. First about 1:30 a.m.

Witnesses said there had been a couple of explosions. One person told police he had seen a late-model white General Motors pickup leaving the fire scene, according to police reports.

The center’s van, a 1984 Chevrolet station wagon, a 1986 Honda Accord and Skific’s car all burned. Police estimated total damage at $40,000.

The center’s van was used to transport day-care children on field trips and to take children to school.

Community groups had purchased the van for the center. St. Vincent de Paul does have insurance, Peterson said.

“We’re praying for some help at least with the clients’ cars,” Peterson said.

The state fire marshal plans to investigate.

Skific, 63, said she doesn’t know what to do. She finally had gotten her car paid for, but her minimal insurance doesn’t cover the damage.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do about a car,” she said, noting that Coeur d’Alene doesn’t have a bus system like Spokane’s.

“I’m going to be hoofing it, I guess.”