MFD snuffs fire in vacant, boarded structure occupied by homeless

(Missoula Current) The Missoula Fire Department extinguished a structure fire in a shuttered house frequented by the homeless on Saturday afternoon just before 1 p.m.

While the cost of the response wasn't immediately known, it required three engines, one ladder truck, one ambulance, a fire investor and three police officers.

The fire was reported near the 200 block of Prince Street.

“Upon arrival, the first engine company noted smoke coming from a boarded up, one-and-a-half story house,” Capt. Josh Stewart said in a Saturday night press release. “Missoula Police Officers on-scene reported that the home was known to house homeless people and squatters.”

According to the fire department, the first two engines along with the ladder truck gained access to the empty structure by prying off plywood sheets covering the entrances.

The third arriving engine deployed a backup hose line and established a water supply.

The fire was extinguished and no occupants were found inside. Currently the cause of the fire is unknown and is under investigation. The cost of damage is unknown.