Investigation underway after fire at Ririe Fire Station

RIRIE, Idaho (KIFI) - The Central Fire District is picking up the pieces after its Ririe Fire Station caught fire Wednesday night. 

Chief Carl Anderson says it’s poetic that snow and ash look pretty much the same. 

Icicles have even started forming within the gaps in the walls, but the biggest change, of course, can be found inside.

The wreckage of four fire trucks and an untold amount of equipment is no longer smoldering. 

Fire investigators from the state and the ATF have been inside since about 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

They say they’re pretty sure they know what caused the fire, but they have not yet told us what that is. 

What we do know is the fire started in the back right of the building where the station’s oldest fire truck is parked, but there were three other trucks in the building.

“The middle truck was our newest truck. It was purchased and brought home in 2019. That truck in 2019 cost us $340,000," Chief Anderson said. "The cost of trucks has almost doubled since then. So, you know, it’s going to be a costly truck to replace.”

Chief Anderson says the building itself is not structurally sound enough to be used anymore, and it will have to be demolished. 

The total cost of the damage, he says, is north of $1 million.