Hayden fire destroys repair and assembly shop

A fire in Hayden on Tuesday evening destroyed a building of a longtime business that sells and repairs golf carts and other small vehicles.

Firefighters were called to an assembly and repair shop for Ballard Golf and Power, 11521 N. Warren St., just after 7 p.m. by a passerby who saw smoke coming from the building, said Fire Marshal Tyler Drechsel, of the Northern Lakes Fire District.

Crews entered the building but quickly determined the fire was too intense to fight from the inside, Drechsel said. The structure was about 10,000 square feet.

The building is a total loss, Drechsel said Wednesday morning. Firefighters remained on scene throughout the early morning.

Ballard repairs and sells golf carts, lawnmowers, motorcycles, electric bikes and other small vehicles.

Joe Lampe, a golf technician at Ballard, said although the fire destroyed one of Ballard’s buildings, its original building across the street is open for business. He said Ballard, which has been open for more than 30 years, will rebuild.

No one was in the building at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported, Drechsel said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it does not appear to be suspicious, Drechsel said.

The Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, Timberlake Fire Protection District, Hauser Lake Fire Protection District and the Mica Kidd Island Fire District also responded to the scene.