Family loses home, pets, as winter sets in

November 14, 2022

On November 6, Brian Fife received a phone call from a Boundary County Sheriff's dispatcher that his home was on fire and that the fire department was on the scene. He was attending church in Bonners Ferry at the time and rushed home to find firefighters working to put out the flames. The home and its contents were a complete loss, but Brian’s first concern was for the pets that had been left inside.

“Brian called me to tell me the news," his wife, Leslie said. "I heard him through the phone calling out for Rocky, Paco ... his voice breaking.”

After the fire was put out, a firefighter located Paco and the kitten named Diamond on a bed. They passed away from smoke inhalation, but were not burned. Rocky remained missing until Leslie got home, but sadly, he, too, died in the blaze.

“I knew where he went when he was scared," Leslie said. "He would always go in Brian’s closet and hide under his stacks of clothing.”

The local community has provided a lot of support in the following days. Their friend,Troy Olson from their church, set up a GoFundMe to help raise funds.

“When I heard about the fire, I felt so sad," Troy said. "When I heard that they did not have home insurance, I knew I had to do something.”

The Fife’s are still assessing the damage and makiong decisions on what to do for winter. Their hope is to rebuild in spring, but that will depend a lot on what kind of support they can receive after this setback.

To help, donate via GoFundMe, or contact the Bonners Ferry Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (509) 879-5608.