Shortly before 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 18, the Idaho Falls Fire Department and Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to S Henry Creek Road, near the Black Hawk water tower in Bonneville County for a report of a brush fire that was approximately 0.5 acres in size and quickly growing. #WaterTowerFire
Several IFFD fire engines and brush trucks were dispatched, as well as a water tender, a Battalion Chief and two HEMTTs to assist with water supply. Firefighters from the Bureau of Land Management were also dispatched.
At approximately 1:30 a.m., dispatch sent out an AlertSense public safety alert to notify residents in the Black Hawk and Comore Loma subdivisions of the fire and place them on alert for evacuations.
Firefighters battled the blaze through rough terrain and against windy conditions until approximately 4:40 a.m. when the Water Tower Fire was considered fully contained.
The fire burned approximately 50.75 acres and is under investigation. The cause is not known at this time. There were no evacuations needed. No structures were burned. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters.
On Friday afternoon, July 17, the US National Weather Service – Pocatello, ID issued a Red Flag Warning due to low humidity and breezy conditions across the Snake Plain and Eastern Magic Valley.
Due to the weather conditions, firefighters from IFFD and the BLM will remain on scene to monitor the situation until around 6:00 p.m. tonight, July 18.
SAFETY TIPS:
-Sign up to receive free AlertSense public safety alerts by going to the Idaho Falls Fire Department website.
-Never leave campfires unattended.
-Check for dragging chains on your trailers and campers before leaving for your destination. Sparks can quickly ignite dry grass.
-Fireworks are not permitted on public lands.
-Avoid target shooting on hot, windy days.
Fire photo courtesy of Kim Patton.
Bonneville County Fire Protection District HEMTT photo is a stock IFFD photo.
Media Contact: Kerry Hammon, Public Information Officer, (208) 612-8122, [email protected].