POST FALLS - A fire destroyed a cabin in the remote mountains south of Post Falls on Thursday afternoon and the owner was transported to the hospital after being pepper sprayed by a deputy.

Neighbors told firefighters the man is 52-year-old Randy K. Olin, who goes by "Butch." He was wheeled down the steep dirt road with deep trenches leading from his home in a small cart to a four-wheel-drive police Chevy Tahoe.

Firefighters and neighbors said it's unclear how the fire, reported about 2 p.m. at 12062 W. Monument Drive off Schilling Loop, started. One neighbor said he heard "three big booms" before seeing black smoke and flames billowing from the scene, which could be seen from north of the Spokane River in the city.

Responders said Olin was found outside the home that burned and was allegedly uncooperative with a deputy, who had to apply pepper spray to control and handcuff him.

Neighbor Frankie McFeroncrumb said she spoke with Olin as he was being wheeled in the cart.

"I asked him if he's OK, and he said he was," McFeroncrumb said, adding that he didn't appear to be injured by the fire. "I'm just thankful he's alive - it's a miracle he is."

"I think he was just freaked out because of the handcuffs."

A spokesperson at Kootenai Medical Center said Olin was in good condition on Thursday night, but was being admitted for further evaluation in a different area of the facility.

When asked if Olin told her how the fire started, McFeroncrumb said, "He must've told someone that he was cooking."

There were conflicting reports about whether anyone else was at the scene when the blaze started.

Neighbor Ryan Hay described Olin as a "hermit." He was arrested seven times by local law enforcement from 1993 to 2003, including for vandalism, DUI, inattentive driving and driving without privileges.

Several abandoned vehicles and miscellaneous items, including a baby stroller, camper, car parts and small farm equipment were throughout the property and along the isolated road leading up to the place.

One of two dogs nipped at responders as they transported Olin and jumped onto a fire vehicle before temporarily being tied up. A county animal control unit responded to kennel the dogs, but was unable to catch them. A neighbor said he would take care of them in Olin's absence.

McFeroncrumb, who said she has known Olin for about 30 years, said Olin has some family in the area and is a "very sweet" man.

"He has a lot of friends who come up here to camp out with him," she said.

McFeroncrumb said Olin was in a logging accident several years ago and has been on disability ever since.

The fire was contained to the small two-story cabin, avoiding a trailer with an addition and a rickety outbuilding nearby.

When firefighters arrived on scene, the structure was fully involved, causing responders to go into prevention mode as the dry and windy conditions caused concerns of spreading into brush and timber.

"The access was extremely tenuous," said Jim Lyon, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue spokesman, adding that multiple agencies were involved in the response. "We don't believe there was electricity to the property."

A Department of Lands crew dug and cut a line around the perimeter as a precaution to prevent the fire from spreading.

Firefighters had the fire under control by 2:45 and remained on scene at 6 p.m. tending hotspots.

An investigation continues.