Quick action saves homes, wheat fields from Blackfoot shed fire
Seth Ratliff
BLACKFOOT, Idaho (KIFI) — Quick thinking and a rapid response from local fire departments yesterday prevented a fast-moving fire north of Highway 91 from engulfing a home, a trailer, and surrounding wheat fields. The blaze, which began around 2:00 PM on Wednesday, July 31st, started in a shed near the property and quickly spread to multiple vehicles, additional outbuildings, and open fields, severely threatening nearby residences, according to a Facebook post by the Blackfoot Fire Department.
The Blackfoot and Firth Fire Departments, along with off-duty and volunteer personnel, launched a “multi-pronged attack” that ultimately saved the main structures and the wheat fields on both sides of the property. This success came despite significant challenges, including personnel shortages and extreme weather conditions with temperatures soaring to 95 degrees and strong winds fueling the flames, according to the post.
While the incident resulted in a “best-case outcome,” the Blackfoot Fire Department highlighted a critical issue: the fire exhausted all on-shift resources. This created a significant 20-minute gap in emergency coverage for the area until off-duty and volunteer firefighters could arrive at the station and staff additional trucks, according to the post.
“As our city and county continue to grow, this is becoming an increasingly frequent situation,” states the post. “This indicates the need for a continual evaluation and adaptation of our emergency resources so that we can continue to provide the same level of service to the citizens we serve.”