By 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, the Shane Stewart home on Howland Road in Idyllwild's Fern Valley was completely engulfed. Flames shot 20 feet above the roof line. Area fire companies were on scene, but the dead-end narrow street made access difficult. A bystander who lived nearby said the fire started sometime around 8 p.m. According to the bystander, neither Stewart nor his family were at home when the blaze started. From across the street from the burning home, neighbors gathered. The home looked to be a total loss, with the upper story completely gutted, as the fire continued to burn.
