Barn goes up in flames

A Thursday morning fire in Hauser Lake destroyed a traditional barn that was built by its owner more than 35 years ago.

“I can’t applaud the fire department enough because they saved three other buildings, and there’s no question that they saved them because (the fire) scorched the side of my shop,” said Buell Hollister, the barn’s owner. “I was absolutely stunned how fast that barn burned. In 15 minutes, it was gone.”

Firefighters from Newman Lake, Hauser Lake, Northern Lakes Fire District and the Kootenai County Fire and Rescue departments spent more than three hours fighting the fire.

Capt. Gary Mobbs, of the Hauser Lake Volunteer Fire Department, said firefighters took extra precautions because there was dynamite inside the barn. They used an unmanned deck gun to douse the fire without putting firefighters into direct danger.

“We did pretty decent considering the circumstances we were against,” Mobbs said.

None of the sticks exploded. Hollister said they had been in the barn for 35 years and lacked detonating devices.

“A friend bought that dynamite for me because he was helping me blast stumps,” Hollister said. “Periodically I thought about (getting rid of them), and I didn’t do anything about it. That’s my negligence.”

But, he added, the dynamite “was not a factor in the fire.”

The fire, which started about 6 a.m. when Hollister was in the barn, was ruled accidental, but its cause remains under investigation, Mobbs said. Hollister would not discuss the matter, except to say that he made “a stupid mistake.”

Hollister said the barn had a gambrel roof and a large loft.

“They don’t make them like that any more,” he said.

In addition to the shop, the fire threatened two other outbuildings.

“My neighbors turned our chickens out” in case the coop burned, Hollister said.