Arrest Made In Coeur D’ Alene Duplex Fire

COEUR D’ ALENE — Police have arrested a man suspected of starting a fire early Monday morning at his Coeur d’ Alene duplex.

The fire at 2212 West Fairway Drive broke out at about 3 a.m. and burned so intensely that the garage collapsed and windows were blown out of a neighbor’s home.

There was little fire crews could do to save the duplex. It was too unsafe for fire fighters to go inside, and burning to hot for them to get close. Right away fire crews knew it would be a total loss and that it was suspicious. 

“The building was fully involved, the front the whole upstairs units were involved, so the crews went defensive,” Coeur d’Alene Deputy Fire Chief Jim Washko said.

Firefighters say because of favorable wind conditions the next door neighbor’s house was spared however it was quite a wake up for resident Helen Howell.

“Some kid came to my door pounding saying that the house next door to us was on fire,” Howell said.

Investigators say flames jumped from the duplex to a tree and then to the siding on Helen’s house.

“I actually had to come out my bedroom window,” Howell said.

As crews were mopping up the fire Dan Keyes, a resident of the duplex showed up and by that time investigators had collected enough evidence to arrest him on a charge of 1st Degree Arson.

“I didn’t do nothing, I was just having a fire,” Keyes said. “I’m being wrongly accused of something i didn’t do.”

Investigators wouldn’t release further details about why Keyes allegedly set fire to his own home.