Fire consumes home near Chubbuck, shutting down a highway temporarily

CHUBBUCK — A fire engulfed a home in Bannock County over the weekend, forcing responding authorities to close a highway temporarily.

Firefighters first responded to the fire at the 13000 block of North Yellowstone, near Chubbuck, at 11:05 a.m. on Sunday. Authorities believe the blaze originated from the garage. Upon arriving, responders found that the fire was already “heavily involved” in the two-story residential home, Assistant Fire Chief Mel Timbana of the North Bannock Fire District said.

The North Bannock Fire District was the primary agency responding to the fire, and they received help from the Fort Hall, Chubbuck, and Pocatello Fire Departments. The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with the response.

The responding firefighters utilized a defensive stance and an offensive attack on the fire to contain it.

“We utilized multiple lines to protect the adjacent structures that were around it, and then at the same time (made) an offensive attack,” Timbana said.

To protect the public, authorities shut down U.S. Highway 91 at 11:16 a.m. and closed it until around 3 p.m.

Timbana said that the house was unoccupied by its residents at the time of the fire. The firefighters were able to stop it from spreading to nearby structures, and there were no injuries associated with the fire. Firefighters had the fire contained by around noon.

Timbana said that, aside from a few salvageable items in the basement, the residence was a total loss.

The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office is the lead agency investigating the cause of the fire.