Idaho Falls Fire Department has busy Saturday
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)- The Idaho Falls Fire Department responded to several calls Saturday, three of which required a larger response, but none of those resulted in serious injuries.
At 1:30 p.m., IFFD, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho Falls Police Department responded to Freeman Park on Science Center Drive for a report of a developmentally disabled female who was on the ice with another individual when she broke through the ice and fell in the Snake River. The other individual was able to make it back to the shore safely.
When first responders arrived, everything but her head and shoulders were submerged in the frigid water. She was close enough to the shore that responders were able to quickly throw a rope, instruct her to wrap it around her waist, and then pull her to safety. She was taken inside the ambulance to get warmed up and be evaluated by medical personnel, but she was not transported to the hospital.
Shortly after 5 p.m., IFFD responded to the 5000 block of E Ririe Highway for a structure fire. The reporting person stated that a sawdust bin inside a shop was on fire. Firefighters noted smoke coming from a single-story detached shop on arrival. The fire extended into the roof of the older structure, but was extinguished by approximately 5:20 p.m. There was one male inside the shop at the time of the fire. There were no injuries to civilians or first responders.
The cause of the fire was a spark from a piece of equipment that ignited some nearby combustible material. Damages are estimated at $5K for the structure and $5-10K for the contents inside the shop.
Only 5 minutes after the fire on Ririe Highway was extinguished, IFFD and the BCSO were dispatched to the 17 Mile Cave just off the Arco Highway for a report of a fire in the middle of the cave.
The reporting person told dispatch that there were people inside the cave on the other side of the fire. Responders reported seeing several pallets that appeared to have been doused in gasoline and lit on fire. There were reportedly 15-foot flames, and the cave was full of smoke. Nobody was found inside the cave, and there were no injuries to civilians or first responders. The cave was temporarily closed to the public to allow time for the smoke to dissipate.
