Salmon’s Baker Country Market to rebuild following devastating fire
SALMON, Idaho (KIFI) — In a much-anticipated update, the owners of the Baker Country Market have officially announced they will rebuild the store. The decision comes just two weeks after a catastrophic fire leveled the beloved local store.
The announcement was shared Thursday morning by Tracy Krekeler, a friend of the family and member of the Lemhi Live Facebook group. According to Krekeler, the Amish family that owns and runs the market decided to rebuild after "much prayer and conversation" within their community.
In a heartfelt post, Krekeler expressed the family’s deep appreciation for the local support.
"They all would like me to extend their deepest, most sincere gratitude to everyone for the tremendous outpouring of kindness during this time," Krekeler wrote in a post. "They have been incredibly touched in ways they could not begin to imagine from the love, kindness, and generosity that has been extended to them these last 2 weeks."
Wind Blown Embers Destroy Beloved Local Landmark
The fire fully destroyed the former store on the evening of February 21. Investigations by the Lemhi County Fire Protection District concluded the fire was accidental, sparked by wind-driven embers.
RELATED: Firefighters battle massive blaze at Baker Country Market in Salmon
The owners had burned a pile of cardboard earlier that afternoon and believed the fire was fully extinguished. However, shifting winds reignited lingering embers, which spread to a nearby stack of pallets before quickly spreading the flames to the entire building.
How to Help
Krekeler says financial donations can be made at Frontier Federal Credit Union via cash or check; all donations must be made to the Salmon River Amish Church.
"The Millers and the Amish community are so very grateful for the continued outpouring of love, kindness, and caring from our Salmon community and beyond," says Krekeler. "May God bless all of you as abundantly as you have blessed them."
There is no current timeline for when the store will be rebuilt. Local News 8 will provide more updates as new information becomes available.
