Fire spreads from barbeque grill and destroys home near McCammon

The following is a news release from the McCammon Volunteer Fire Department.

Six engines, six water tenders, and about 20 firefighters from the McCammon, Inkom, Arimo, Downey, and Lava Hot Springs Volunteer Fire Departments responded to a residence fire on Old Highway 91 north of McCammon on Saturday evening.

The fire was reported at 5:52 p.m. and fire crews from McCammon and Inkom were dispatched. The first engines arrived at around 6:10 p.m. and Arimo, Lava Hot Springs, and Downey were dispatched shortly thereafter.

The fire reportedly started on the back porch and a barbeque grill was suspected to be the cause.

Residents called 911 and attempted to put water on the fire. The porch was on the west side of the house and winds from the northwest at 10 to 18 miles per hour caused the fire to quickly spread to the residence by about 6 p.m.

When the first fire crews arrived, the fire had spread to the house and winds from the northwest continued to challenge firefighters efforts to contain the blaze.

Winds decreased somewhat and firefighters were able to knock down most of the active fire by around 8:15 p.m. Some fire resources were released between 9 p.m. and midnight, with an engine and water tender from the Inkom Fire Department remaining on scene to monitor and douse spots into the early morning hours.

The home was a complete loss with an estimated value of at least $700,000.

The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office closed Old Highway 91 for about an hour to allow unimpeded fire equipment access and will be conducting the fire investigation. Community members and neighbors have arranged for temporary shelter for the residents of the home and no one was injured in the blaze.