A house fire late Saturday night in Milltown may result in a complete loss.

Battalion Chief with Missoula Rural Fire Blaine Cowan said on Sunday afternoon that the fire was called in at 9:21 p.m. by a passerby near the old Milltown Market.

"When our crews arrived, they found the front room of the smaller home fully involved in fire and heavy smoke," Cowan said. "The female occupant was warned, thankfully, by a smoke detector, and attempted to put the fire out herself, but quickly realized that was not going to work. She was able to get out of the home safely. It was actually a passerby who called the fire in to 9-1-1."

Cowan said there were no human injuries in the fire.

"Unfortunately, the two pets in the home perished in the fire," he said. "The exterior is still standing, but there's enough interior damage, probably about 75 percent, that I'm reasonably certain the insurance company would call the home a loss."

Cowan said the cold and snow hampered firefighters, in that one of the lines froze, but they were able to knock the fire down in about an hour.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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