COEUR d’ALENE — A home on Harbor Island was damaged in a fire Tuesday night. 

Kootenai County Fire and Rescue and the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department were called to the fire on Harbor Drive just before midnight, according to KCFR Division Chief Mitchell Copstead. A second residence was threatened by the fire but did not sustain damage.  

Only one occupant was in the home at the time. There were no injuries. Copstead said the fire is believed to have been “accidental in nature,” but an official cause has not been disclosed. 

Some damage was also sustained to a neighboring garage that caught fire, which Copstead said was quickly put out.  

Sean McGinn, a Harbor Island resident, took his paddleboard onto the Spokane River to investigate after he and his family observed “flames higher than the trees and smoke billowing” from a few houses down on Harbor Drive.  

“I didn’t want to get too close on the street (and cause) interference,” McGinn said, adding that he knew it was most likely one of the waterfront homes that was on fire. 

From the water, McGinn captured video of the scene, which he described as “astonishing.” 

“I stayed there hovering about 80 yards offshore for around 10 minutes until the wind shifted and started blowing the smoke toward me,” he said. 

McGinn also said his brother heard “tiny explosions, like a bunch of really loud firecrackers,” which alerted the family to the fire that had started down the street.  

“We ran out and there were a dozen responding vehicles already and a bunch of neighbors outside their houses,” he said.  

KCFR responded with four engines, a ladder truck and two water trucks due to the fire being in a rural area, Copstead said. CDAFD responded with two additional engines, and three ambulances were on scene in case of injury.  

While the fire was completely out Wednesday, a damage estimate was not available.