Two Idaho Firefighters Injured Battling House Fire

An unattended pan left on a stove caused a blaze that burned down a house in Mountain Home Wednesday night, Fire Chief Phil Gridley said Thursday. A family of four was displaced and two firefighters were taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

No one was at home at the time of the fire. Gridley said a pot was left on the stove when the family went to church.

Firefighters were dispatched to the house at 1044 N.W. Kloe St. at 7:46 p.m., after the fire tripped a home alert system.

Gridley said one of the firefighters was just a half mile away when the call came in, and he observed 20-foot flames from the single-story residence when he arrived. The fire chief said the flames were fanned by 40- to 50-mph winds.

Firefighters had the fire knocked down by 8:14 p.m. They were able to save a vehicle in the garage, but the house was a total loss. Initial estimates were a $250,000 loss, but on Thursday the loss was estimated to be $200,000.

Two firefighters suffered minor injures. One, who has bad chest cold, suffered minor smoke inhalation. The other suffered eye injury when his helmet was ripped off by a powerful stream of water.

With money from the fire department's Burnout Fund, the family was put up at a local hotel, Gridley said. The Red Cross also was contacted to provide additional assistance for the family.

Copyright 2012 - The Idaho Statesman, Boise

McClatchy-Tribune News Service