House Fire Claims One Life in Tarkio

A house fire reported in Tarkio on Saturday has taken the life of an unidentified woman who lived in the home.

Frenchtown Fire Department spokesman Mel Holtz said the call came in at about 11 a.m.on Saturday.

"We and the Superior Fire Department were called out to a house fire in Tarkio," Holtz said. "Tarkio is an unincorporated area, so they don't have their own fire department, so we were the closet agencies to respond."

Holtz described what firefighters found when they arrived at the home.

"We arrived on scene to a fully-involved house fire, with one resident unaccounted for," he said. "Unfortunately, late last night we found that she did not make it out. Because it's an unincorporated area, the State Fire Marshall will handle the investigation."

Holtz said the woman's name will be released by the Mineral County Sheriff's Office once her relatives have been notified. He said no other structures or livestock were injured in the fire. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

Tarkio is located west of Missoula between Alberton and St. Regis.