Pocatello Fire Department quickly extinguishes fire in condominium building

POCATELLO — Pocatello firefighters were able to extinguish a fire in a condominium building before it spread beyond its room of origin.

At 10:36 a.m. on Sunday, an emergency call was dispatched to the Pocatello Fire Department about a residential fire in one of the Fairway Estates Condominium buildings on Bench Road.

“(Firefighters) made entry as soon as they got on scene, and they were able to knock (the fire) down within a minute of arriving,” said Kim Stouse, spokeswoman for PFD.

The fire didn’t spread past the room it started in. When the unit’s residents returned home, they saw smoke coming from the fire.

“That’s when (the residents) called it in, and dispatch had them evacuate, so they weren’t in (the unit) when we arrived. They were outside awaiting our arrival,” Stouse said.

Stouse said it was lucky that the residents returned home when they did, “because obviously, if they hadn’t, it could have gotten much larger and created a lot more damage.”

Additionally, residents of all 10 to 12 units in that condominium building were evacuated and were able to return later once it was safe to do so.

The residents of the unit where the fire started were unable to return inside due to smoke damage.

Fire investigators from the Pocatello Fire and Police departments are investigating the cause of the fire, but have determined it to be accidental.

Stouse said the property manager will work with restoration companies to remediate the unit. The unit’s residents had other living arrangements available.