Fire Marshal: Fireplace sparked fatal fire at Idaho cabin

BOISE, Idaho – The Idaho state fire marshal says an explosion in a fireplace caused a fire that consumed a house and killed four people.

Knute Sandahl said Thursday the explosion, which occurred June 30 at Tamarack Resort, was ruled accidental.

Sandahl says the fireplace on the main floor of the home was converted from propane-fueled to wood-burning in 2015. During the conversion to wood, the propane line that fed the fireplace was left in place.

On the night of the accident, people in the home unknowingly turned on the gas line. This allowed gas to pool in a void behind the fireplace, which exploded when it reached burning paper left in the fireplace as kindling.

Officials declined to say whether the individual who converted the fireplace faces any liability in the explosion.