News
Local man loses home to fire in the hills
Scott Wagar
10/15/2013
During the heavy rains and thunderstorms on Friday, Jesse Kittleson lost his house to a fire in what is believed to have been started by a lightning strike hitting his home.
Late Friday morning, the Bottineau Fire Department was called to Kittleson’s home due to a reported fire at his residence. The roof was burned extensively in the back portion of the house, which fell into the upper tier of the home spreading damage throughout that portion of the house leaving the area charred and damaged. The remainder of the house suffered extensive water damage.
The fire is still under investigation by the state fire marshal, but it is believed to have been hit by lightning. When Kittleson arrived at his home, there was no fire in the house, but was burning outside on the top of the roof. Presently, the fire marshal is investigating lightning strikes through a GPS system that will grant him the exact locations of all the lightning strikes that took place in the area at the time of the fire.
The financial damage of the fire is estimated at $267,000. If the insurance company deems the house a total lost, Kittleson plans to raze the home and rebuild.