MISSOULA – A Missoula woman is combing through the charred remains of her clothes and belongings after her home caught fire early Wednesday morning.
Mary Palmer also lost her cat in the fire, but she was able to escape unharmed.
She tells us she was about to go to bed around 1 a.m. Wednesday at her home on Sherwood Street when neighbors pounded on her door to tell her the shed next to her trailer was on fire.
It did not take long for the flames to spread to her home. She says she tried to get water on the flames before the fire department arrived but it wasn’t enough.
By the time the Missoula City Fire Department got there, the shed was fully-engulfed and fire was burning into the home.
Now, piles of soggy clothes, melted fans, tents and toys sit in piles as Mary looks over what’s left of the home she worked so hard for.
She believes someone started some cardboard on fire next to her shed to keep warm when the flames spread.
“I have nothing now, nope,” Palmer said. “This is my only house. I bought it. I thought it would be the only one I’d have to buy. I just don’t know how someone can do this to somebody, you know.”
Palmer tells us the hardest part is losing her cat in the fire. Firefighters did save three kittens, which are now being cared for at Animeals.
The fire department estimates damage around $10,000.
14 firefighters stayed on the scene until early morning. They’re continuing to investigate how the fire started.
Reporting by Jill Valley for MTN News
