KALISPELL — One person was critically injured in a fire that broke out Tuesday night at Montana Timberline Firewood Company just north of Kalispell.
Plant Manager Nick Bedwell said his coworker, Aaron Walker, was injured in the blaze.
Walker suffered severe burns and has been flown to a specialized burn facility in Salt Lake City.
A GoFundMe Page has been set up to support Walker's recovery.
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Bedwell said the fire broke out around 9:30 p.m., and the cause is unknown and still under investigation.
He said the firewood processing structure burned to the ground, but the fire was contained to the property.
Bedwell said close to every agency in the county responded to the fire as crews worked through the night into the morning hours, battling the blaze.
Rebecca Couture — who runs Winter’s Kitchen Community Feed — woke up around 4 a.m. Wednesday to make breakfast burritos and brew five gallons of coffee for the firefighters.
“Was the first thought this morning waking up is just warming everybody up because I knew it was a long night, and it’s going to be a long day today for them to,” said Couture.
Bedwell said 12 people work at the plant, and the business will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
He is asking the public to avoid the property and expects the fire to smolder for the next day or two.
