DRIGGS, Idaho — A structure fire engulfed a two-car garage and spread to the attic of a nearby residence in the early hours on Friday in Driggs.
Teton County (Idaho) Fire & Rescue (TCFR) received multiple reports of the fire around 2:20 a.m. on Jan. 30 near the intersection of 5th Street and East Johnson Ave. According to a Facebook post by TCFR, crews mobilized within one minute and arrived within four minutes. When the first units arrived, the garage was already ablaze.
“Crews directed attention to life safety in the adjacent residence that was being impacted by the fire,” reads the social media post. “It was confirmed the three occupants and two dogs were self evacuating.”
The residence was just 10 feet away from the garage, and ultimately the fire spread through the eaves and into the attic, causing damage. A second residence about 20 feet away received little to no damage due to firefighting efforts. Crews remained on the scene until 6 a.m. to completely extinguish the fire and check for hot spots. There were no injuries.
TCFR Fire Chief Mike Maltaverne told Buckrail that there has been no indication of the fire being caused by anything “malicious or suspicious.” Due to a lack of resources, Maltaverne does not expect to dig any deeper on the cause of the blaze, though it is typical for an insurance company to conduct its own investigation for financial reasons.
The social media post listed some key takeaways from the incident, including the quick actions of neighbors calling 911, which allowed the firefighters to be on scene within minutes and limit the spread. Per TCFR, working and maintained smoke detectors in the home are highly recommended, as they can increase survival chances by 50%, especially during nighttime hours.
“Lastly, this fire highlights significant challenges in fighting a fire of this magnitude with only seven personnel,” reads the post. “The National Fire Protection Association’s standard for staffing recommends a minimum of 16 firefighters. Due to limited funding, our staff continues to perform to the best of their ability with the available, limited resources.”
