Major damage to home and garage after two fires reported in Idaho Falls
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The following is a news release from the Idaho Falls Fire Department.
IDAHO FALLS — There were no injuries following two structure fires in Idaho Falls on Sunday afternoon. The fires occurred within six minutes of each other but were unrelated.
At 1:24 p.m. on Nov. 20, the Idaho Falls Fire Department was dispatched to the 800 block of Singletree Lane for a chimney fire. The occupants of the double-wide trailer attempted to put the flames out with water and a fire extinguisher but told dispatch that there was still a lot of smoke coming from the wood burning stove. The occupants were uncertain if the fire had extended to the roof, therefore the call was upgraded to a structure fire with additional personnel dispatched.
The chimney fire damaged some of the roof, but the integrity of the roof remained intact. The two adults and one child who were home at the time were uninjured and were able to return to their home.
Only 6 minutes later, at 1:30 p.m. the Idaho Falls/Bonneville County Dispatch Center received another call reporting a fire at the North Park Village Condominiums located at 1400 block of Presto Street near the southern entrance of Freeman Park. A neighbor was walking outside when he noted smoke coming from a nearby condo and called 911.
Firefighters who were in route to the Singletree Lane chimney fire reporting seeing heavy black smoke coming from the area of Freeman Park. Personnel working in the tower of the Idaho Falls Regional Airport also notified dispatch of billowing black smoke.
Some of the firefighters who responded to the chimney fire on Singletree Lane were rerouted to assist with the condo fire. A total of two ambulances, three engines, the ladder truck and a battalion chief responded to Presto Street. Engine 5 took command of the chimney fire, freeing up the battalion chief to assume command of the condo fire.
When firefighters arrived on scene of the 42-unit condo complex they noted a garage that was fully involved in flames with the garage door collapsing. The flames extending into the second story condo owned by one adult female who was not home when the fire started. The fire also caused damage to the exterior of an adjoining garage, but firefighters quickly extinguished the flames, keeping it from the other six condos in that unit. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters.
Idaho Falls Power and Intermountain Gas responded to secure utilities. The Chaplains of Idaho were dispatched to assist the displaced individual with immediate needs.
The estimated damages are unknown at this time, and the cause of the condo fire is under investigation by IFFD’s Fire Prevention/Investigation Division.