Inkom brush fire destroys nearly 30 acres

A brush fire broke out in Inkom Saturday around noon. Fire responders were on the scene for hours trying to contain the fire. Plumes of white smoke filled the air around the hillsides near where the fire originated.The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Fire Dept. says as of 5p.m., the fire was 20 percent contained, burning nearly 30 acres up and down a hill.

Air responders were flying by every 20 minutes to deploy fire retardant chemicals onto the hillside.

According to the grandson of the homeowner near by, the fire started in back of a barn and burned 100 feet near near a few homes on Portneuf Road and Honeysuckle. However, the fire was extinguished before it could reach them

No injuries occurred and there were no property damages or home evacuations. But the grandson, Neil Andersen of American Falls, recalls the scary encounter.

“The fire actually started out behind the barn and probably got 100 feet from it. So, Grandma called Mom in tears and so, we all ventured over here. And we’re over here as a family. It looks like the fire department did a good job and got everything in control,” said Andersen.

“This would also illustrate a good example of what homeowners can do to prevent their homes from burning. If you look around, you got a nice, green manicured lawn around this house. The neighbors have set up sprinklers, and a pretty good defensible space around,” said Kevin Conrad, BLM Fire.

Conrad says the fire was human caused, but is still under investigation.