Second fire breaks out in assisted-living home

A Post Falls assisted-living facility caught fire again Tuesday morning, less than 48 hours after flames gutted its attic and living area.

The first fire at Garden Homes started around 5:45 a.m. Sunday and forced the evacuation of its 15 elderly residents.

Firefighters returned to the charred home four times Sunday to ensure the fire was out, said Jim Lyon, spokesman for Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. But at least one ember survived in the attic, Lyon said.

Construction crews also spent much of the day in the home Monday and saw no sign that an ember remained, Lyon said. The building appeared to be soaked with water.

By 3 a.m. Tuesday, however, flames and smoke were again pouring from the roof of the two-story home at 820 N. William St.

The residents, none of whom was injured thanks to a speedy rescue by staff, neighbors, police and firefighters, had already found new homes at other assisted-living facilities.

Foul play is not suspected in either fire, Lyon said. The cause of the initial fire remains under investigation by both the fire marshal and Garden Homes’ insurance company.

The ember was near where remodeling had created a new roofline, Lyon said.

“You can get an ember under a little piece of insulation, and it can be there for days,” Lyon said.

The rekindling of a house fire is not common, Lyon said, but “it can certainly happen where you have a lot of spaces very tough to get to.”

The latest fire resulted in extensive smoke, heat and water damage to the home’s dining and kitchen areas. Some 30 firefighters helped put out Tuesday’s fire, including crews from Hauser, Coeur d’Alene and Northern Lakes departments.