3 displaced after early morning basement fire on 11th Street

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - There were no injuries following Tuesday morning’s house fire on 11^th Street in Idaho Falls; however, three individuals were temporarily displaced from their homes. 

The 9-1-1 call came into the Idaho Falls Bonneville County Dispatch Center just after 4:30 a.m. when the resident was awakened by a smell of smoke coming from the basement. There were three adults – one male and two females – inside the home at the time of the fire. Reportedly, two occupants were still inside the home when first responders were in route; however, all occupants were able to evacuate safely without injury.

Firefighters arrived to the single-story home with a basement located at the 200 block of 11^th Street 6 minutes after the 9-1-1 call. Heavy smoke but no fire was seen coming from the home on arrival. There were no smoke detectors going off when firefighters arrived.   

Idaho Falls Power and Intermountain Gas were dispatched to secure utilities. The Idaho Falls Police Department assisted with evacuating residents from nearby homes and with blocking off a portion of 11^th Street. Volunteers from the Chaplains of Idaho were requested to provide the displaced occupants with a temporary place to stay and any immediate needs.  

Firefighters reported having most of the fire extinguished by approximately 4:53 a.m. Most of the fire was contained to one room in the basement, but there was heavy smoke damage throughout the home. Damages are estimated at approximately $50,000 which includes the structure and content.

There were no injuries to first responders. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation by IFFD’s Fire Prevention and Investigation Division. 

“At least 20 people have been temporarily displaced from their homes in the last three months due to house fires in our area,” IFFD Public Information Officer Kerry Hammon said. “We’re very grateful to our community’s chaplains who have really stepped up to the plate and helped those individuals with various needs."

“The causes of the fires over the past few months have all varied in nature," IFFD’s Fire Inspector Jim Newton said. "We’re reminding people to make sure they have working smoke detectors and that they are being very vigilant with the most common culprits of fires in the winter including space heaters, chimneys, unattended candles, and overloaded electrical outlets.”