POLSON — A once stately home on Buffalo Bridge Road was reduced to a smoldering ruin last Thursday morning by a devastating house fire. Occupants of the house belonging to Shawn Wilson were able to escape the structure safely, but the blaze has rendered the home uninhabitable.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated, though Polson Fire Chief John Fairchild suspects that the fireplace may have been the point of origin.

“(The cause is) undetermined at this point - I want to make that very clear - but it appears that it could have started somewhere in the chimney and fireplace area,” said Fairchild.

“The owner had stoked (up the fireplace) and went to work,” Fairchild said of the fire that started shortly after 9 a.m. Polson fire crews were dispatched at 9:17 a.m. and responded to the scene within ten minutes.

The fire drew firefighters from Finley Point, Ronan and Polson, as crews worked at the scene for seven hours.

The tragic incident reinforced the importance of proper chimney and fireplace maintenance.

“It is that time of year in which it’s a good idea to get your chimney cleaned,” said Fairchild, adding that homeowners should check for other fireplace defects such as cracked lining or broken pipes.

Besides fireplaces, citizens are reminded to keep furniture and all flammable materials a safe distance away from any type of heating device. Fairchild expressed “concern with heating appliances in general,” noting that as the area experiences the first spells of winter weather, heating equipment that may have been shuffled into unsafe positions during the summer months could become serious fire hazards.