Crews, property owners battle challenging fire for six hours
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The following is a news release and photos from the Idaho Falls Fire Department.
Firefighters from the Idaho Falls Fire Department battled a blaze in Bonneville County for nearly six hours during the early morning hours of Sunday, May 22.
The call came into the Idaho Falls/Bonneville County Dispatch Center at 1:20 a.m. when a bystander noticed flames coming from the area of Sage Lakes Golf Course and the Broken Bit Arena, about 2 miles north of Highway 20, exit 310 on the Lewisville Highway.
Firefighters were met with immediate challenges when they arrived at 65th North and Jennifer Lane as they navigated fire apparatus down a narrow dirt road, through a field, and to a feedlot. There was a significant amount of fire that had fully engulfed an RV, tractor, and two large haystacks. The winds made fighting the blaze even more challenging as the fire spread to multiple one ton boxes of pig feed and threatened livestock. While there were some livestock holding sheds in the area, there were no other structures or homes threatened by the fire.
Additional personnel and fire apparatus were dispatched to bring water and assist the first arriving crews get the fire under control. Firefighters from four of IFFD’s five stations responded, to include two brush trucks, two fire engines, three water tenders, and a battalion chief. Additional off-duty personnel were called back to station 1 headquarters to provide coverage for the city until the fire got under control. Neighbors also assisted with fighting the blaze using a private backhoe and tractor.
Due to the winds and a significant amount of fuel load, the fire took nearly six hours to contain. Firefighters left the scene around 6:20 a.m., while property owners continued to place water on the smoldering flames to ensure that the fire would not reignite.
There were no injuries to civilians, first responders, or livestock.
The damages are estimated at $50,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation by IFFD’s Fire Prevention and Investigation Division.
No other information is available at this time.
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