Missoula city firefighters quickly extinguished a fire burning from beneath a home on Cooley Street Saturday afternoon, although the residents were displaced and one suffered minor burns.

Fire Chief Jeff Brandt said his crews “were able to make a quick stop and saved most of the house” upon arriving at 1700 Cooley No. 22.

Heavy smoke and flames were coming from under the home, according to acting battalion chief Jeff Kroll. “The fire crews made an aggressive interior fire attack and extinguished the fire that was coming from under the structure.”

In fact, the fire did not escape its area of origin, Kroll said, but the house did sustain smoke damage before firefighters arrived and started ventilation.

Kroll’s written report said the occupants were alerted to the fire by a smoke detector in the back of the house. They found smoke coming from a utility room and quickly escaped to a safe place outside. They made the 911 call at 2:57 p.m.

Before firefighters arrived, the homeowner tried to open a door to the area where the fire originated from outside the house and received minor burns, Kroll said.

Saturday’s was the second house fire in a week where a smoke alarm alerted residents to the danger, providing ample time to leave the home before it filled with smoke.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Damage was estimated at $5,000.

More From Missoula Current