Whitehall VFD Perseveres Over Hectic Day Filled with Structure Fires, Wrecks

Thursday, February 11th wasn't just one of the most frigid days of the year, but it was also one of the busiest for the Whitehall Volunteer Fire Department.

The day started with a serious vehicle accident on I-90 which blocked traffic for several hours and spurred a multi-community search and rescue mission for a lost Labrador involved in the accident. At 8:25 a.m. on Thursday the Whitehall VFD was dispatched to mile marker 237 Eastbound, as a semi had jack-knifed due to weather conditions. Fire chief Joe Granvold said that the semi was blocking most of the roadway and when a pickup truck towing a U-Haul came around the corner, they crashed into it; then a Ford car also became involved as it careened into the accident, unable to stop.

Wade and Colleen Pinson, from Washington, were traveling with their 7-month-old Lab mix, Brody, when the accident occurred. The Pinsons were transported with non-life-threatening injuries; Brody, however, jumped out the window and disappeared into the Homestake area. As of print, Brody has been at large for five days. On Monday, February 15th the "Find Brody" Facebook page had announced he had been seen, was able to be left some jerky to eat, but had not approached rescuers yet and they had not been able to catch him.

The VFD left the scene of the Pinson's crash at about 11:30 a.m. and were dispatched at 12:03 p.m. to a structure fire at 13 Stoner Lane in Cardwell. The residence, owned by Ron Shaw and rented by Wayne Wagoner, was completely engulfed. Along with the Willow Creek and Three Forks Fire Departments, the Whitehall VFD had 18 firefighters on site. Unfortunately, the home was lost to the blaze. Granvold said that while the fire has not been officially investigated, it is presumed a broken water pipe caused an electrical fire.

Shortly after the majority of the Cardwell fire was dealt with, the Whitehall VFD received yet another dispatch out to 610 Cedar Hills in Whitehall. Crews from Whitehall VFD, Butte Boulevard, and Home Atherton responded to the home of Bill and Wanda Levengood, which was engulfed in flames. Granvold said the crew worked through negative ten-degree weather, with 21 people responding, but again the home was lost. Granvold noted the fire was suspected to have been caused by a fan on the woodstove, which had stopped working, and may have overheated.

Jake Renouard, Captain of the Butte Boulevard fire crew and one of the responders at the Levengood fire, noted that everything that could have been done at the fire was done, but the circumstances were working against saving the home. Renouard and Granvold both noted that, while not the culprit in any of these situations, this time of year space heaters, heated blankets, and chimney fires are the most common causes for home fires.

Separate GoFundMe accounts have been set up in order to assist Wayne Wagoner and the Levengoods.

The Wagoner GoFundMe was started by Wagoner's nephew, Matthew, who stated they were able to get very few items out and his uncle has limited mobility. The GoFundMe is available at https://gofund.me/abe83ecf.

The Levengood GoFundMe was started by Erin Van Dyke, a friend of the couple. Their GoFundMe is available at https://gofund.me/50947be4.

The Ledger will keep the public posted on upcoming donation locations and news.