Tree catches fire in downtown Idaho Falls causing traffic delays

IDAHO FALLS — A tree was damaged after it caught fire Wednesday afternoon in Idaho Falls causing traffic delays.

Idaho Falls Fire Department spokeswoman Kerry Hammon told EastIdahoNews.com the call came in around 3:40 p.m. for a report of a fire near the intersection of North Yellowstone Highway and D street. Firefighters were able to knock out the tree fire within five minutes.

Viewers sent videos and pictures of the large plume of smoke to EastIdahoNews.com.

Hammon said the person reporting the fire told dispatch a tree was on fire next to the railroad tracks and nothing else was threatened. Hammon said it appears there is a homeless camp in the area but nobody was there at the time of the tree fire except for the reporting party.

An investigator is working to determine the cause of the fire. The 25-foot pine tree on the west side of the railroad tracks along Yellowstone was burned but is still standing. No injuries were reported.

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