Hundreds from church youth group evacuated from campsite due to Garden Creek Fire

IONA, Idaho (KIFI) — The growing Garden Creek Fire forced 250 people to evacuate a campground in Bingham County Tuesday. They were members of a Latter-day Saint church group from Draper, Utah. Twelve buses arrived to assist with transporting young men, young women and their leaders to safety.

The group was on a pioneer trek at the Sellars Creek Ranch when the local sheriff's office called for an emergency evacuation of that area due to smoke and nearby flames.

"We started to smell the smoke and see it more and we're like, 'Dang, this fire is closer than we thought,'"said trek participant Porter LeBaron. "...It was kind of crazy to have to drop the handcarts and be in the commotion of just trying to get everyone and make sure everybody gets out safely."

A trek usually includes dressing in pioneer clothing, pulling an handcart and simulating the challenges early Saints might have faced. Roger Cook, the Draper Utah East Ridge Stake President, is convinced that the urgency and immediacy of their evacuation taught the youth a valuable lesson about pioneer history.

"Interestingly, we had stopped along the trail and two youth were teaching about the Kirtland Ohio Temple wherein many important things happened in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," said Cook. "Of course, what made this interesting was the fact that those people who built the temple and witnessed those miraculous experiences were told they needed to evacuate their homes immediately. Not because of a wildfire but because of wild men who were threatening their very lives."

The group was able to continue their trek and camp out in the grass next to the Iona Stake Center. Even from the field, billowing smoke could be seen in the distance and ash flakes fell from the sky.

"As we got on the bus and we came here, we all just like started to decompress and had fun again. I knew everything was going to be okay," LeBaron said.

After pitching their tents, eating dinner and sharing in a spiritual thought, it was time for bed but not without one last surprise. The sprinklers came on, getting their tents and totes wet. All things considered, a young woman in the group said this is an experience she will be sharing with her future children.