Two apartments vacated after fire

A pet cat died and three people were driven from two apartments after a fire broke out at the Biltmore Apartments, 2727 E. 53rd Ave., fire officials said.

The cause of the Thursday evening blaze was under investigation. It started in a second-floor apartment in Building D and was quickly extinguished by firefighters, according to Battalion Chief Steve Sabo.

Three other apartments received smoke and water damage. A manager at the apartment complex said the resident in the second-floor apartment where the fire started was not at home at the time.

She and a pair of residents in the first-floor apartment below it were moved out because of heavy smoke, heat and water damage. Smoke damage also occurred in the third-floor apartment directly above the fire, but residents were able to remain there, according to the manager.

The damage was estimated at $30,000. Seven fire companies with 21 firefighters responded to the fire.

Fallen garbage can leads to I-90 crash

A three-car crash on Interstate 90 precipitated by a garbage can’s fall from a pickup sent two people to a Spokane hospital Friday.

Denny Humphrey, 69, of Cheney, stopped his 2006 Toyota Tacoma to retrieve the can at 10:37 a.m. A 1996 Ford Taurus driven by Hannah Conley, 20, of Spokane slowed on the freeway near milepost 272 for Humphrey, according to the Washington State Patrol. A 1997 Toyota Tercel driven by Lisa Leinberger, 39, of Spokane, struck the Taurus, the WSP said. Troopers cited Humphrey for failing to secure the can, and Leinberger, a reporter at The Spokesman-Review, was cited for following too closely.

Humphrey was not injured. Leinberger and Conley suffered minor injuries.

Kootenai County

Utility work to close I-90 for a bit

Interstate 90 near Huetter between Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene will be closed for a short time Sunday morning to allow for utility work, according to Kootenai Electric Cooperative.

The freeway will be closed in both directions at 5:30 a.m. for about 10 to 15 minutes. Idaho State Police will have flaggers posted to direct traffic to alternate routes during the closure. Also, messages are being posted at exits prior to the closure so motorists can take the alternate routes.

COEUR D’ALENE

Federal bidding will be explained

The Idaho Panhandle National Forests will hold an open house for people interested in learning how to bid on federal contracts, including Forest Service contracts.

The open house takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the forests supervisor’s office, 3815 Schreiber Way, Coeur d’Alene. Contracting specialists will answer questions. A handout guide to contracting will be available. The handout is also available at www.fs.fed.us/ipnf (click “contracting” link).

For more information, contact Kathy Anderson at (208) 765-7261 or kathyanderson@ fs.fed.us.

From staff reports