Martin Kidston

(Missoula Current) City officials on Monday praised the Missoula Fire Department for keeping an Independence Day house fire in the South Hills contained to a single structure and expressed condolences to the property owner.

Firefighters received multiple calls regarding a house fire on Logan Court and arrived with flames emerging from the roof. At that point, the home was heavily involved in fire.

Mayor Andrea Davis described the family's loss as devastating.

“Our gratitude for the firefighters for snuffing that out as quickly as possible,” she added.

The blaze was later attributed to fireworks, which are illegal in the city.

According to statements gathered at the scene, an aerial firework was ignited near the property and traveled laterally before landing in a juniper next to the house. The property's occupants said they searched but were unable to find the projectile.

But 15 minutes later, the bush began to burn and while the homeowners attempted to douse the flames, they were unsuccessful.

“The fire spread rapidly through the mature juniper before extending to the residence, igniting the front porch and garage,” the fire department stated. “The rapid fire growth was consistent with the highly combustible nature of mature juniper shrubs and their close proximity to the home.”

While fireworks are illegal in the city, the holiday weekend kept emergency responders busy. Between July 3-5, local dispatch received nearly 140 calls related to fireworks. The fire department responded to three fires sparked by fireworks.

“They're out there 24-7 working for us,” said City Council member Stacey Anderson. “There's a reason why fireworks are illegal in the city. It's not that we're a bunch of fun haters. They (Logan Court property owners) lost of lot of their belongings and had a crappy holiday weekend.”